Lesson 6

Vasyl Kasiian

Vasil Kasiian, born 1 January 1896 in Mykulynsti, Stanyslaviv county, Galicia, died 26 June 1976 in Kyiv. Graphic artist of the realist school: from 1947 full member of the USSR Academy of Arts and the Academy of Architecture of the Ukrainian SSR. A graduate of the Prague Academy of Arts (1926), he assumed Soviet citizenship and in 1927 immigrated to the Ukrainian SSR, where he taught at the Kyiv State Art Institute, the Ukrainian Printing Institute in Kharkiv, and the Kharkiv Institute of Arts. A prolific and versatile artist, he excelled in all the graphic techniques — wood engraving, cooper engraving, linocut, and lithography — as well as pen drawing and watercolors.

During his Prague period Kasiian dealt with social themes, depicting the poverty and hard life of the lower classes in Europe. Coming to Ukraine, he created several series of wood and copper engravings about collective-farm life, the building of the Dnieper Hydroelectric Station, mining in the Donbas, and the building of the Kyiv Metro. The most valuable part of his rich, technically flawless legacy consists of the works on industrial themes, which document the economic transformation of Ukraine, and the illustrations to works by T.Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, I.Franko, M.Kotsiubynsky, V.Stefanyk, and O.Kobyhanska.

He wrote many works on graphic techniques. He was the editor of "Taras Shevchenko: The Artist Legacy", 4 vols (1961-64), which contains all of Shevchenko's known works, and a coeditor of the six-volume "History of Ukrainian Art", 1966-8. From 1927 Kasian's numerous artistic works were displayed at one-man exhibitions, including six in Kyiv, three in Kharkiv, two in Odesa, and one each in Lviv, Moscow, Prague, and Bucharest. His works were included in most official Soviet exhibitions abroad, including the Venice Biennale.

Spot the mistakes.

1. Kasiian was a graphic artist of the impressionist school.

2. He was a graduate of the Prague Academy of Arts in 1947.

3. He taught at the Kharkiv Academy of Arts.

4. He excelled in engraving, watercolors and oil-painting.

5. His works were displayed at several exhibitions, including

Moscow, Prague, and Budapest.

Answer the guestions:

Who was Vasyl Kasiian?

When was born V. Kasiian?

Where did Kasiian study?

When did he assume the Soviet citizenship?

Where did Kasiian work?

In what technique did V.Kasiian excel?

Translate:

a).A prolific and versatile artist, graphic artist of the realist school, wood engraving, cooper engraving, linocut, lithography, to create several series of wood and copper engravings, the most valuable part, the rich, technically flawless legacy, one-man exhibition, Venice Biennale.

b). During his Prague period Kasiian dealt with social themes, deleting the poverty and hard life of the lower classes in Europe.

The most valuable part of his rich, technically flawless legacy consists of the works on industrial themes, which document the economic transformation of Ukraine, and the illustrations to works by T.Shevchenko, Lesia Ukrainka, I.Franko, M.Kotsiubynsky, V.Stefanyk, and O.Kobylianska

Vasyl Kasiian wrote many works on graphic techniques

Kasian's numerous artistic works were displayed at one-man exhibitions, including six in Kyiv, three in Kharkiv, two in Odesa, and one each in Lviv, Moscow, Prague, and Bucharest.

His works were included in most official exhibitions abroad, including the Venice Biennale.

Creative work of the students:

1. The museum of arts is organising the exhibition of paintings of Vasyl Kasiian and asking you to write an announcement about this event.It should not be very long and should include the information about the museum, artists genre, his place in Ukrainia art and your advice why it is worth visiting.

2. Make a research on the topic “Vasyl Kasiian and his life”