DOI Seite / Zitierlink:
https://doi.org/10.11588/diglit.55687#0148
144
Юлия П. Шапченко
Yulya Р. Shapchenko
The military sketches of the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia
by Mstislav Dobuzhinsky
Mstislav Dobuzhinsky (1875-1957), a famous Russian graphic artist, painter and stage designer, is widely
known outside Russia, including the homeland of his ancestors Lithuania, Europę and America. He is still
called the Master of the urban landscape. Much of his graphics are not known, remaining unayailable for
research in private collections both Russian and foreign collectors.
During the lst World War, Dobuzhinsky was one of the first Russian artists who went to the army and
madę a rangę of front-line sketches. In November 1914 Dobuzhinsky visited the Polish front linę, and
in February - March 1915 he painted in the most important sector of the front - Galician. During lst
World War, the territory of Galicia was the main battle ground. In 1916 Dobuzhinsky madę two morę
trips to front in a military hospital train: in spring - to Kiev, and in September - to the South-West of
Russian Empire.
The main subjects of his front-line sketches are views of destroyed buildings, hummocky or swampy
landscapes, wounded officers and soldiers, nurses and folk types of Kingdom of Poland and Galicia, pris-
oners and injured. In the drawings madę on a gray paper and coloring sketches the artist used a popular
technique for the time - mixing several materials: watercolor, gouache, charcoal, ink, white lead. Dobu-
zhinsky always signed his works, so there is no problem with the authorship attribution. The graphic style
and brushstroke of Dobuzhinsky is rather dryish and linear. Ali in all, the artist madę around a hundred
watercolors and drawings. In April 1915 Dobuzhinsky together with his friend Eugene Lanceray organ-
ized large exhibition of their frontline sketches and drawings in Petrograd. The exhibition catalogue cov-
ered only 59 artworks by Dobuzhinsky. The storage place of the rest of his drawings and watercolors is
still unknown, they are probably kept either in private collections or lost. A part of the War senes is stored
in the archive of the Lithuanian National Library in Vilnius.
The main works of Dobuzhinsky frontline graphics include: BlastedJedlnia water tower at the station,
near the city of Kielce, Burnt Garbatka railway station, Ruined church bombing in red-handed, Place of
battle near Ivangorod \Dęblin\, Landscape in Galicia-, images of soldiers, wounded, nurse, army officers -
Wounded, Comrades (Ivangorod), Guard Captain K, Seriously injured, Sisters in the bandagingroom, Sisters
ofMercy-, Galician types of Ruthenians and Poles - Ruthenian from Bylinoslav, Polish people from Sanok,
people of other nationalities - Austrians, Hungarians etc. All these works are painted in watercolor or
tempera. In 1916, at the expense of the Red Cross has published a famous series of lithographed postcards
Dobuzhinsky Types of Galicia. Dobuzhinsky s front-line sketches are not only unique documents of the Г'
World War, but also a great value into Russian culture.
Юлия П. Шапченко
Yulya Р. Shapchenko
The military sketches of the Kingdom of Poland and Galicia
by Mstislav Dobuzhinsky
Mstislav Dobuzhinsky (1875-1957), a famous Russian graphic artist, painter and stage designer, is widely
known outside Russia, including the homeland of his ancestors Lithuania, Europę and America. He is still
called the Master of the urban landscape. Much of his graphics are not known, remaining unayailable for
research in private collections both Russian and foreign collectors.
During the lst World War, Dobuzhinsky was one of the first Russian artists who went to the army and
madę a rangę of front-line sketches. In November 1914 Dobuzhinsky visited the Polish front linę, and
in February - March 1915 he painted in the most important sector of the front - Galician. During lst
World War, the territory of Galicia was the main battle ground. In 1916 Dobuzhinsky madę two morę
trips to front in a military hospital train: in spring - to Kiev, and in September - to the South-West of
Russian Empire.
The main subjects of his front-line sketches are views of destroyed buildings, hummocky or swampy
landscapes, wounded officers and soldiers, nurses and folk types of Kingdom of Poland and Galicia, pris-
oners and injured. In the drawings madę on a gray paper and coloring sketches the artist used a popular
technique for the time - mixing several materials: watercolor, gouache, charcoal, ink, white lead. Dobu-
zhinsky always signed his works, so there is no problem with the authorship attribution. The graphic style
and brushstroke of Dobuzhinsky is rather dryish and linear. Ali in all, the artist madę around a hundred
watercolors and drawings. In April 1915 Dobuzhinsky together with his friend Eugene Lanceray organ-
ized large exhibition of their frontline sketches and drawings in Petrograd. The exhibition catalogue cov-
ered only 59 artworks by Dobuzhinsky. The storage place of the rest of his drawings and watercolors is
still unknown, they are probably kept either in private collections or lost. A part of the War senes is stored
in the archive of the Lithuanian National Library in Vilnius.
The main works of Dobuzhinsky frontline graphics include: BlastedJedlnia water tower at the station,
near the city of Kielce, Burnt Garbatka railway station, Ruined church bombing in red-handed, Place of
battle near Ivangorod \Dęblin\, Landscape in Galicia-, images of soldiers, wounded, nurse, army officers -
Wounded, Comrades (Ivangorod), Guard Captain K, Seriously injured, Sisters in the bandagingroom, Sisters
ofMercy-, Galician types of Ruthenians and Poles - Ruthenian from Bylinoslav, Polish people from Sanok,
people of other nationalities - Austrians, Hungarians etc. All these works are painted in watercolor or
tempera. In 1916, at the expense of the Red Cross has published a famous series of lithographed postcards
Dobuzhinsky Types of Galicia. Dobuzhinsky s front-line sketches are not only unique documents of the Г'
World War, but also a great value into Russian culture.