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UKRAINIAN ICONS ON GLASS ANDRIJ CYBKO Розп'яття. Городенківський р-н, Івано-Франківської обл. The Crucifixion, Horodenka region. Св. Варвара. Городенківський р-н, Івано-Франківської обл. St. Barbara. Horodenka region. The folk art of southwestern Ukraine creates its own enchanted world - ceramics of superb masters such as Zintiuk, Baraniuk, Bachmatiuk; woodcarving, paintings, metalwork, embroidery, pysanky (Ukrainian Easter eggs) many of which to our great dismay are the works of artists unknown to us today. In this multico lored gallery which not only pleases the eye and warms the heart, a special place is given to the icon on glass. The exclusivity, in my opinion, is due to two factors: one -the artistic singularity of the icon on glass; two - the strange disregard for this art form by the native art scholars. The roots of this art form reach back into antiquity. The technique of painting on glass was known in the Hellenic period. At the end of that era Rome became the center for this art, and later Bysantium. It was again reborn in the XIV century in Italy, and hence became popular throughout central and western Europe. Travel ing merchants brought it to eastern Europe, and by the same token to Halychyna at the end of the XVIII, begin ning of the XIX centuries. At this time the icon was pre dominantly painted on wood. Founded on wood-based iconography (retaining fundamental composition, colors and subject matter) but developing in the new technique, icon painting on glass became an original manifestation of folk art. In the second half of the XIX century the art form become popular in the Hutzul region, in Pokutia, in Bukovyna, Podolia and Volyn. Unfortunately, toward the end of the XIX century, cheap and easily accessible oleography had a detrimental effect on the work of folk artists and eventually forced the artists to become decorators of the interiors of village houses. In only a few decades the number of icons available dangerously decreased due to the delicate nature of the base on which they were painted - glass - usually about 1/2 millimeter thick, as well as to the overwhelming competition created by the massively produced oleo graphy. Historical events of the era also cannot be dis counted, such as the two World Wars and the aftermath of each. The fact is that only a few icons remain today. One would think that these delicate folk treasures would evoke great protectiveness in us on their behalf. But, reality states otherwise. The Ukrainian icon on glass was somehow over looked by ethnographers and scholars during the time when it flourished, as well as when its fashion passed. It can be argued that the free style of drawing and non adherence to the then accepted style and format of ico nography irked the critics. Let us treat this shortcoming of our forefathers as a sign of their time. The evolution of contemporary art, having been released from the bondage of classical rules, gave the opportunity to know and evaluate the mechanism of creativity which formed the basis of folk painting. The desire to create abstract form in order to achieve a maximum expression, the importance of signs and symbolism at the beginnin of the XX century, cleared the way toward the appreciation of folk art. Until 1939 Prof. I. Svincitsky and the Polish scholar T. Severin were interested in glass iconography. In 1939 in Lviv several icons were part of an exhibition of folk art of Halychyna. In later years it looked as if the tide had turned for the icon on glass - in Poland, in Roma nia, in Czechoslovakia, beautiful books were published on the subject. Among them, the more noted were: “Icon on Glass” Meridian, Bucharest, 1968; "Rumanian painting on glass” Meridian, 1982; (this bbook was Видання C оюзу Українок A мерики - перевидано в електронному форматі в 2012 році . A рхів C У A - Ню Йорк , Н . Й . C Ш A.
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