In 1915, an American artist of Ukrainian origin, Yakov Gnezdovsky, was born, known for his amazing graphic works. In the 1930s he lived in Lvov, where he was educated at a theological seminary, and also met members of the Ukrainian underground, with whom he lived in the same hostel. Gnezdovsky was so obsessed with art that after being arrested after being put on trial for students from an illegal circle, he began to draw participants in the process. It became clear that the artist was not interested in politics, and he was released.
At that time, Gnezdovsky was making
sketches of everything he saw. He painted landscapes, portraits, depicted animals. He met cartoonist Edward Kozak, thanks to whom he illustrated Lviv periodicals. In 1939, the war forced the artist to move to Zagreb, where he continued his studies at the Academy of Arts. Here Gnezdovsky mastered painting and first turned to woodcuts. The master was inspired by the works of Albrecht Dürer. He made a living by illustrating a magazine that was read by the Ukrainian diaspora, and was also fond of bookplates.
Gnezdovsky gained wide popularity in the 50s, after moving to the USA. He presented his work in Minneapolis, winning the "Bush" woodcut award. Further success convinced the artist to continue to engage exclusively in art. International recognition came in the 60s thanks to his original style. After the death of the artist, some of the paintings were transferred to several museums in Ukraine.
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