#kobzar art

[kobzars]

Cossack Mamay sits on a mead barrel (vodka infused with honey) under the Tree of Life and plays his sad melody. He is disturbed by what is written in Ukrainian at the top of the painting: "Ой, лихо настало - коли медовухи не стало" (Oh, trouble came when the mead was gone).

[sonyaheaneyauthor]

Back cover of a 1922 edition of the Kobzar, an 1840 book of Ukrainian poetry by Taras Shevchenko. X

[theophan-o]

Old Ukrainian bandura from the 1st half of the 19th century, which belonged to the real kobzar, Yevhen O. Adamtsevych (Євген О. Адамцевич, 1903/1904-1972)

Currently stored in the collection of the Kharkiv Historical Museum (Харківський історичний музей), ДР-68

There is a Cossack on horseback depicted on this beautiful musical instrument:

[temnashafa]

ТАРАС ШЕВЧЕНКО

Якщо грати на кобзі то тільки так

TARAS SHEVCHENKO

If you play on the kobza,

that's the only way

[xadee]

Olga Kobzar

[neutron669]

Olga Kobzar by Ana Dias

[vintage-ukraine]

Kobzar by Nadia Klein and Stepan Kyrychenko, 1964

[historyofart-emus]

(Kozak) Bandurist (Бандурист), alternatively Blind Man (Сліпий) or Slave (Невольник) by Taras Shevchenko

Iskivtsi, Russian Empire (now Ukraine). 1843. Sepia ink.

Taras Shevchenko, also known as Kobzar (a word for a Ukrainian bard) is one of the most well known and important figures to Ukrainian cultural and linguistic history. Active in the mid 19th century, Shevchenko was a poet, writer, artist, and political figure and is credited with creating the foundation for Ukrainian literature and language in general.

These sepia ink drawings are two of many drawings Shevchenko did of a theme on a blind kobzar playing the Bandura (a Ukrainian folk instrument) in 1843, during his first trip across Ukraine. Three years later, he would write a poem on the topic, the title of which gave these pieces their alternative titles. Here's an excerpt from the poem connected to this scene:

«Отак на улиці під тином

Ще молодий кобзар стояв

І про невольника співав.

За тином слухала Ярина…»

"And so on the street by the fence

Still the young kobzar stood

And sang about a slave

Behind the fence stood Yarina..."

In this scene, Yarina recognized her husband Stepan in the blind musician, and her role is then attributed to the young woman shown in the background of these pictures. Several depictions of the scene, including the first one I show here, also places a young boy in the scene as a guide for the kobzar. His hairstyle is called an oseledets, traditional of a Kozak/Cossack depiction. The original of this first painting, one of the biggest sepia pieces done by Shevchenko, is unfortunately believed to be destroyed in a fire in 1919, but still exists in two photo copies. It was also used as art on the 2005 100 hryvnia bill.

[cutefacesx1000]

Total y absolutamente enamorado de la imagen de Olga Kobzar.

[kobzars]

Today is the Day of the National Flag of Ukraine, tomorrow is the Independence Day of Ukraine! Peace and happiness to you and your families!

[theophan-o]

Beautifully drawn, Bohun-style Cossack from the illustrated edition of Taras Shevchenko’s Kobzar for children:

Тарас Шевченко, Дитячий Кобзар, Львiв: Видавництво Старого Лева 2022, с. 40-41.

A Masterpiece of Maryna Mykhailoshyna (Марина Михайлошина), contemporary Ukrainian artist.

It is a fan&didactic account, existing only for the Cossack Heroes glory and promoting Ukrainian heritage worldwide. Copyright belongs to the Artist/Museum.

[mrarconn]

Olga Kobzar

Sacha Leyendecker

[stephjacq]

2023.10.13

Skellie Kobzar

I’ve missed a few days and veered from the prompts but whatever ✨happy Friday 13th 🖤

[neutron669]

 Olga Kobzar by Ana Dias

[vintage-ukraine]

Mykola Popov`s illustrations to Kobzar by Taras Shevchenko, 1950s - 1980s

[dreaminginthedeepsouth]

Casa de Letras

* * * *

“What can art accomplish? The purpose of art is to accumulate the human within the human being. But when I was in Afghanistan during the Soviet War, and recently, speaking to Donbass refugees in Ukraine, I heard how quickly man gets rid of culture and a monster emerges. The beast is revealed. I do write though.... keep on writing... I write as my teachers taught me, the Belarusian writers Ales Adamovich and Vasil Bykov, whom I remember today with gratitude... I write as my Ukrainian grandmother taught me in childhood when she recited poems from the book Kobzar (The Bard) by Taras Shevchenko. Why do I write ? I've been called a catastrophe writer, but that's not true. Always looking for words of love. Hate will not save us. One and only love And I have hope... ". Svetlana Alexievich on House of Letters blog. 

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