Mykola Krychevsky

By Pont Neuf, Paris

1954

Mykola Krychevsky (November 24, 1898 - September 11, 1961) Born in Kharkiv, into a family of artists and art scholars whose contributions greatly influenced the development of the arts in Ukraine in the early 20th century. His father, Vasyl H. Krychevsky (1873-1952), was an architect, painter, graphic artist and an enthusiastic student and collector of Ukrainian folk art. He was also the founder and first president of the Ukrainian State Academy of Arts in Kyiv. Fedir Krychevsky (1879-1947), Vasyl's brother was one of the leading figures in Ukrainian art, a prolific painter, as well as respected teacher of the arts. Krychevsky studied art with his father and in 1919 he left his native Ukraine and lived in Prague for several years, where he completed his studies at the School of Industrial Design. In 1929 he moved to Paris, where he lived for the rest of his life. Throughout his career he expressed himself in different art techniques. He worked as a theatrical scenery designer and painter (Prosvita Theater, 1921-1923, in Uzhhorod; Théatre Hébertot, 1924; and Théatre des Arts, 1939, in Paris, as a wood engraver, as a book illustrator, and in other art forms. He painted in the neo-impressionist style. His most prolific output was in watercolors with which he embraced the grace and charm of Paris and Venice, the countryside and in later years, when he traveled across the Atlantic, the American landscape. Mykola Krychevsky exhibited his work in numerous one-man shows in major cities of the Western world on both continents. Most of his exhibitions, however, were at many well-known galleries in Paris. Mr. Krychevsky left a legacy of more than 7,000 paintings, which remain in museums and private collections throughout Europe, the United States and Canada. Source: The Ukrainian Museum, New York City (Askart)