Author: Khasevych, Nil - ìBey-Zotî and his disciples
Title: Ukrainian Underground Art: Album of the Woodcuts Made in Ukraine, in 1947-1950
Description: Philadelphia, PA, 'Prolog', 1952. Hardcover. pp. 69. 4to. Bound in original blue buckram with title embossed on board. Statement on the copyright page says: 'First copies of the woodcuts are kept in the archives of the Foreign Delegation of the Supreme Ukrainian Liberation Council (UHVR).' Preliminary text of 22 pages contains six articles (in English and Ukrainian facing) about the struggle for artistic freedom against Soviet repression and censorship. Remaining pages contain the illustrations, very nicely reproduced (often in more than one colour), with details underneath of subject and date engraving created. Corners bumped, slightly musty aroma; else clean, tightly-bound and in very good condition. Very scarce item: WorldCat shows only three institutional holdings (National Library of Scotland, Dutch Defence Library, and University of Newcastle, Australia). Khasevych was born into a poverty-striken family in the little Ukrainian village of Volynia in 1906. In 1926, he studied painting and graphic arts at the Academy of Arts in Warsaw. In 1932, he graduated with a teaching diploma but, being Ukrainian, he could not find work so he began specializing in woodcutting and Ukrainian calligraphy. In 1937, four of his woodcuts for bookplates won a prize at the International Exhibition of Woodcuts in Warsaw. During World War Two, Khasevych returned to the Ukraine and joined the Ukrainian Insurgent Army (UPA), fighting both the Nazis and the Soviets. He produced numerous woodcuts during and after the war which were highly politicized and critical of the two repressive regimes, and for the production of which he was subject to prosecution and puinishment. He died in 1952.

Keywords: Ukraine;


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