Extreme rare historical painting by famous Ukrainian painter Mikolai Ivanovich Ivasiuk (1865 - 1930) depicting two ritting Zaporozhian Cossacs as symbol of Ukrainian Freedom and Independence.

Here is the short history of Ukrainian cossacks:  Towards the end of the 15th century, Zaporozhian Cossacks had established A Cossack host into the wildly quilt of Ukraine around the Dnieper River. The Dnieper Cossacks of Ukraine formed the Zaporozhian Sich around the fortified Dnieper islands. Initially a vassal of Poland-Lithuania, the increasing social and religious pressure from the Commonwealth caused them to proclaim independent Cossack Hetmanate, initiating by a rebellion under Bohdan Khmelnytsky in the mid-17th century. Afterwards, the Treaty of Pereyaslavl with Russia brought most of the Ukrainian Cossack state under Russian control for the next three hundred years. In the 18th century the Russian Empire`s expansionist ambitions relied on ensuring the loyalty of Cossacks , which caused tension with their traditional independent lifestyle. In extreme cases whole Hosts could be dissolved, as was the fate of the Zaporozhian Sich in 1775.

The author of this Ukrainian patriotic painting Mykolai (Mykola) Ivanovich Ivasiuk (1865 Chernivtsi - 1930) belonged to the important representatives of the Ukrainian art in Galizien, studied at the academy in Munich, which he completed 1891 with honor diploma, pupils of Alexander (S¨¢ndor) of Liezen Mayer, exhibited his works 1892-1894 in Krakau . The federal state parlament to Bukowina placed to him1000 crowns to the order to the opening of the Art school , during the World War I Ivasiuk worked in Kijev, where he issued 1917 two paintings, among them " Cuban Kosak in Lemberg".

Here is quotations from encyclopedia of Ukraine (www.encyclopediaofukraine.com) about the artist and his importance for the history of Ukrainian Art : "...The ideas, themes, and subjects of romanticism had a profound influence on art toward the end of the 18th and the beginning of the 19th centuries in Western Europe and in the Slavic countries neighboring on Ukraine. In Ukraine romanticism had its effect on the art of non-Ukrainians living in Ukraine, such as the Russian Vasilii Tropinin, the Armenian Ivan Aivazovsky.. The influence of romanticism can also be seen in the early paintings of Taras Shevchenko and Kosjantin Trutovsky , as well as in the works of the Ukrainian artists ivan Soshenko, Appolon Mokrytsky, MIKOLA IVASIUK , Sergii Vasylkivsky, Mikola Pimonenko...."

Literature: Thieme/Becker 1999; Benezit 1999; in Russian: List of painters from the Dictionary of artists 18th-20th centuries by V.D.Solovjev, Moscow, 2005.

Provenance: purchased on auction of Munich auctionshouse Ruetten , 2009

Inscription: signed and dated 1924 lower left.

Technique: oil on cardboard. Luxuriousy original period gold-plated frame.

Measurements: unframed 14 1/5" x 18 1/5 " (36 x 46 cm ), , framed w 21 1/4 " x h 25 1/4 " (54 x 64 cm)

Condition: in very good condition.