Shevchenko and Kazakh boy

Taras Shevchenko. Shevchenko and Kazakh boy playing with a cat. Bristol paper, sepia (25.3 × 19.7 cm). [Novopetrovsk fort]. [Summer 1856 – IV 1857]. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 833.

Bottom right sepia marked by hand Shevchenko: T.

In late April – early May 1857 drawing was sent through Br. Zaleski and S. Sierakowski with an inscription to A.I. Tolstaja. Therefore, the charachter "T" is the remnants of inscription.

Initial execution date defined by the nature of the landscape in the background in summer 1856, after receiving by Shevchenko in late April the first letter from A. Tolstaja, who promises to take steps for his release [see M. K. Chalyj, Life and works of Taras Shevchenko, K., 1882, p. 88 – 89].

In establishing the final date taken into account that 8.V 1857 Shevchenko wrote to Br. Zaleski about drawing for A.I. Tolstaja, as submitted earlier: "Along with the seeds sent to you and my needlework, three pieces. Two for your own use, that is for sale on your own, and the third is labeled for the Countess Tolstaja, and I ask that you immediately send…"

In letters to Br. Zaleski from 10.VIII and M. Lazarevsky from 19.X 1857 Shevchenko also mentioned this picture, calling it "Little Kyrgyz boy". In response to the last letter Lazarevsky wrote: "Countess showing me your Kirghiz boy with your portrait and boasted that shows a lot and all praise" ("Kyiv antiquity", 1901, Vol. II, p. 291).

In the "Catalogue of V. Tarnowski's museum of ukrainian antiquities" [vol. II, Chernigov, 1900, p. 184, № 307] picture dated by time spent Shevchenko in Novopetrovsk fort – 1850 – 1857. Later sources narrow pattern date to 1853 – 1857 [S. E. Raevsky, Life and works of artist Taras Shevchenko, X., 1939, reproduction tab. 57, p. 71 of the same book picture wrongly attributed to the time of the Aral expedition].

Storage areas: property of A. Tolstaja, V. Tarnowski's Chernihiv museum of ukrainian antiquities – № 307, Chernihiv Historical Museum, Gallery of pictures by T.H. Shevchenko (Kharkiv), Central State Museum of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv.

In 1929 was displayed at the exhibition of works of Taras Shevchenko in Chernihiv (Catalogue, p. 20, № 56), in 1939 – on the Republican Shevchenko Jubilee exhibition, Kyiv (Product, № 220), in 1951 – on the exhibition of Ukrainian art SSR in Moscow (catalog, p. 105).

I. M. Verykivska

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1964, Vol. 9, № 56 (image), p. 34 – 35 (note).