SAINT NICHOLAS IN THE ICON PAINTING BY KORNYLO USTYIANOVYCH

Abstract

The article analyzes the icon panting by artist Kornylo Ustyianovych which is centered on the image of Saint Nicholas. Fifteen works were found. The artist’s legacy represents two types of portraits: a half-length portrait and a full-height portrait. The typical features of the image, which exist in sacred spaces of different temples, are specified. The churches where the artist painted are examined and the artistic heritage preservation or loss are specified. For example, in the village of Kozova, Stryi district, in the niche of a wooden basis there is a work with Saint Nicholas which is associated with the portable icon. This is a fragment of an iconostasis which was created in 1877. Unfortunately, the church burnt down but some elements were rescued. All canvases with the image of Saint Nicholas were painted by the artist at different times and in different regions of Halychyna and they are focused on the image of Saint Nicholas himself, his appearance, the elements of clothes which have symbolic and aesthetic meanings. In his cultural and artistic glorification of the image of Nicholas the Wonderworker Kornylo Ustyianovych didn’t limit himself to a single-figure image. He enriched his artistic heritage with plot-driven formula and also depicted quite an interesting historic event of translation of relics of Saint Nicholas which took place in 1087. There is a complicated plot on which the artist worked in the church of the village of Sheshory not far from Kosiv, having analyzed in depth the Biblical text and connected it with its individual interpretation of traditions. The artist was trying to renew plot-driven and situational moves and to depict this on the artistic planes. His works are dominated by the structural modeling of form and image and artistic scenes are shown without any significant deviations without extending beyond the limits of tradition. The drawing is blur-free and predictable, it is created on an academic basis. Quite often on the surfaces of the temples the combination of realistic outlook and decorative and conventional forms of the artistic expression, justification of plot-driven decisions, in which the psychological image is embedded, can be seen. There is natural artistic professionalism of realistic paintings and the feeling of a deep internal content when the image gets the elements typical of this region and becomes closer to the religious. The images are complemented by a reserved and aesthetic color scheme, they skillfully combine multifigure images with natural space.