Old Willows

Yuliy Sheinis was a distinguished Ukrainian graphic artist and painter whose body of work represents a remarkable expression of Ukrainian artistic culture in the latter half of the 20th century.

Born in Kyiv in 1935, Sheinis completed his studies at the Kyiv State Art Institute in 1961, where he trained under O. Pashchenko, S. Podervianskyi, and L. Chychkan. 

His works were featured in all-union, republican, and regional art exhibitions starting in 1962. Sheinis took part in the renowned "Exhibition of the Nine," which drew sharp condemnation from Soviet art critics. The backlash effectively barred him from exhibiting his expressive, non-socialist-realist work for an extended period.

He passed away in 2012. The artwork of Yuliy Sheinis is held in private collections both within Ukraine and abroad.

The artist worked in the fields of easel and book graphics, as well as easel painting.

Among Yuliy Sheinis’s original works are illustrations for the poetry of V. Bryusov, I. Turgenev (1968), and V. Mayakovsky, among others. His notable series of lithographs include Metal (1961), a series based on T. Shevchenko's epic poem Haidamaky (1964), On Guard (1966), Fleet Holiday (1966), and Alternative (1990).

UFDA digitized 5 works by the artist from the collection of the Regional Communal Museum of Local History in Borshchiv, including Zaprudka (1984), Old Willow (1983), and more. These works are now available for viewing on the fund's website.

Sheinis was a world-class master of complex graphic techniques. He worked with etching and aquatint, achieving an incredible depth of tones, rich textures, and a masterful play of light and shadow (chiaroscuro). He also worked with lithography and linocut, demonstrating precise and highly expressive lines.

His work can be categorized as realism, but despite a reasonably accurate depiction of reality, the artist rarely remained on the surface of simple copying. His works are profound reflections on human destiny, time, loneliness, and the nature of creativity.

Although Sheinis is primarily known as a graphic artist, his paintings possess a unique texture. His palette is often restrained and noble, built on subtle color nuances dominated by deep earthy, ochre, blue, and gray tones that heighten the drama of his imagery.