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Taras Shevchenko

Encyclopedia of the life and works

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Album of 1858 – 1859

In the literature Album of 1858 – 1859 years is known under the name of Korsun (the place of execution of certain works) or Sulievsky (by the name of one of the former owners).

Full album is not preserved. We know only 13 separate sheets with 18 drawings in pen, ink, sepia and pencil. It contain sketches to etchings, over which Shevchenko began working in St. Petersburg in the spring of 1858, landscapes, drawings and sketches made during Shevchenko visit to Ukraine from June to August 1859, and various folk records.

For the first time on the album and its owner V. N. Lazarevsky mentioned in the journal "Kyiv antiquity" [1888, vol. VI, p. 83], where said that it was "The album of pen, sepia and pencil views of Moshny, Cherkasy, Mezhyrich, Korsun (hut, bank, trees), near Kanev (low bank of the Dnieper), sketches of trees, two species with the caption "In Lykhvyn" (Tula county). Pen drawings: ukrainian girls going with water from well, Mullah before an open book". Mentioned herein landscape of village Moshny was not found (see number 162).

The second mention of folk recordings and figure "In Cherkassy" from the album of F.L. Suliev published in the journal "Russian bibliophile" (№ 1, 1914, p. 17 – 18). In the same year A. Novitsky in the book "Taras Shevchenko as a painter," referring to information fron "Kyiv antiquity" listed work from Korsun album (p. 66).

In the "Complete edition of the works of Taras Shevchenko" [Lviv, 1935, Vol. VI, p. 287] indicated that residues of this album in 1912 were found in F. L. Suliev, who bought it from B. V. Lazarevsky. There were many pictures extracted from album and became the property of others. Here was named one another figure – "Wall" that Shevchenko allegedly executed near Sumy; lack of its reproduction prevent to determine whether the implied author's eponymous figure in 1845, or some other work.

Sheets of album, reproduced here under number 68, 70, 73, 75, 80, 83 have pictures on the front side and back side.

All pictures of album performed on the same paper and have the same size (with a deviation of 2 – 3 mm). Nine sheets are serial numbered (1, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, 11).

The album, which belonged to V. N. Lazarevsky, became the property of his son – B. V. Lazarevsky, from which individual sheets were purchased by various individuals: three sheets are the property of E. E. Reitern, two – S. S. Botkin, seven drawings and folk records – F. L. Suliev.

Works that belong to F. L. Suliev later stored in the Kiev city museum, National historical Museum (Kyiv), Gallery of pictures Shevchenko (Kharkiv); others that were kept in all other owners, belonging to the State Russian Museum (Leningrad), Institute of Taras Shevchenko (Kharkiv), Gallery of pictures Shevchenko (Kharkiv).

Now all 18 drawings stored in the Taras Shevchenko National Museum .

E. A. Sereda

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1963, v. 10, p. 42 – 43 (note).