He Creative Heritage of Boichukist Artists by Antonina Ivanova and Mykhailo Lezviev (based on materials from the collection of the Lviv National Gallery of Art named after Borys Voznytskyi).

Abstract

Based on the collection of graphic works stored in the funds of the Lviv National Gallery of Art named after Borys Voznytskyi, the article examines the creative work of Mykhailo Boichuk's pupils, artists Antonina Ivanova and Mykhailo Lezviev. In addition to graphic works, photographs from the gallery's archive are used to trace Ivanova's participation in the creation of monumental murals in Odesa together with Mykhailo Boychuk and other artists, and to reveal the participation of Lezviev and Ivanova, together with Leonid Molodozhanyn (the future Leo Mol), in the creation of frescoes and sculptures of monumental buildings in Nalchik in the 1930s. Analysing the artists' graphics, the author draws parallels in the formation of the artists' creative method, focuses on the continuation of the conceptual foundations defined by Mykhailo Boichuk in their work – an appeal to folk art, archaic forms, and national traditions. The author emphasises the holistic and generalised nature of compositional solutions in the works of both artists, which are considered in the context of general socio-cultural trends of the first half of the twentieth century. The difference between the artists' creative style and the programmatic officialdom of the 1930s is pointed out, which affected the life of these artists: they suffered from political repression. Drawing a comparison between the graphic works of A. Ivanova and M. Lezviev, the author emphasises the commonality of expressive means, which are characterised by laconicism, poster-like, flat images, and a tendency to monumentality. Sacred motifs are present in the symbolism and semantics of some of the works, and elements of Christian iconography can be found in the compositional schemes. The themes of love and family harmony acquire a deep generalisation in the artists' works. The introduction of the works of Antonina Ivanova and Mykhailo Lezviyev as a creative tandem into scientific circulation allows us to present Boichukism as a phenomenon in Ukrainian fine art and the significant influence of this artistic movement outside Ukraine.