Mykola Krychevsky. Prague. Czechoslovakia. 1920s. Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora
In the article “Mykola Krychevsky: Life in Exile,” art historian Anna Leksina delves into the life and creative journey of Mykola Krychevsky (1898-1961) — Ukrainian and French artist, acclaimed watercolourist of the 20th century, master of lyrical landscapes and a representative of the Ukrainian artistic family. The research unfolds the key milestones in the artist’s life, providing insight into the gaps in his biography and art heritage. It also offers an opportunity to view his work within the context of European art, particularly within the Ukrainian artistic “wing” of the Ecole de Paris.
The article presents Mykola Krychevsky as a talented watercolourist, book illustrator, and theatrical set designer in emigration. The author discusses Krychevsky’s collaboration with Mykola Sadovsky’s theatre in Uzhhorod and Prague, his education at the School of Applied and Industrial Art in Prague, his involvement with the “Ukrainian Group” in Paris in the 1930s and service in the French army during World War II. The scholar researches artist’s illustrations for Ukrainian book publications in France in the late 1940s, delves into Krychevsky’s art journeys to France, Italy and the United States in the 1950s.
The article is supplemented with photographs and images of Mykola Krychevsky’s works preserved in Ukrainian and foreign archives, museums, and private collections. The primary source base for this research consists of memories from the artist’s niece, Ukrainian-American artist Kateryna Krychevska-Rosandich, as well as archival materials from the Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora.
Mykola Krychevsky. Paris. Canvas, oil. 1958. Museum of Ukrainian Diaspora
