Mykola Krychevskyi

Ukraine House presents a new series of art exhibitions dedicated to Ukrainian artists who lived and worked outside of Ukraine. One of them is Mykola Krychevskyi.

Paris suburbs (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Suburbs of Paris, oil painting

Mykola Krychevskyi was born on November 24, 1898 in Kharkiv in the family of artist-architect Vasyl Krychevskyi and Varvara Marchenko. He received his primary art education in his father's workshop at the Art Institute in Kyiv. 

Pont Neuf (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Mykola was fond of theater.

Together with Mykola Sadovskyi's troupe, he went on a foreign tour to Zakarpattia in 1919. In Uzhhorod he studied with the artist Yosyp Bokshay.

Pont Cariboux, Paris (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Pont Cariboux in Paris, watercolor

In 1926, Mykola came to Prague with the theater and left the troupe, enrolling in the Art and Industrial School to the decorative workshop of Professor Arnost Hofbauer.

View of Seine River, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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Pont Neuf, Paris, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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View of Seine River, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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After its completion in 1929, he moved to live in Paris (France), where he created the design of fabric patterns, scenery for productions in local theaters (Artists' Theater - Le Théâtre des Arts and Hebertot Theater - Le Théâtre Hebertot).

Nativity scene (Vertep) (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Nativity scene (Vertep) by Mykola Krychevskyi

Mykola joined the circle of the local Ukrainian artistic community - Un Groupe Ukrainien (Ukrainian Group) - in Paris.

Montmartre (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Monmartre, Paris

Mykola became interested in watercolor, combined it with ink eyeliner and developed a unique author's technique.

Marseilles, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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St-Germain-des-Prés, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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Orange sand, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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During the 1930s, he traveled, discovering new corners of France - Menton, Nice, Coterets, Rennes, which inspired him to paint numerous watercolor landscapes.  In 1939 with the beginning of the Second World War, he went to the front as a volunteer. He spent most of his service in Marseille.

Venice (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

Venice, Italy

watercolor by Mykola Krychevskyi

Venice (20th century) by Mykola KrychevskyiUkraine House

St. Mark's place, Venice, Italy

Since 1948 twice a year Mykola Krychevsky visited Venice for plein air.

Venice, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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Venice, Canal Grande, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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Since 1954 he regularly visited the USA, where his relatives lived: his brother Vasyl Krychevskyi with his wife Olena and daughter Kateryna (in California) and his maternal sister Maria Kobakhidze and her husband Givi (in New York, later in Washington).

View from the artist’s studio window, Mykola Krychevskyi, 20th century, From the collection of: Ukraine House
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The artist died in Paris on September 11, 1961. Buried in Bagno Cemetery. During his lifetime Mykola Krychevsky actively participated in exhibitions, often arranged personal exhibitions, starting from the time of his stay in Uzhhorod. His works were exhibited in Brussels and in Paris as well as in galleries and museums in Washington, New York, Philadelphia, Toronto, Rome, Warsaw and Lviv.

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