Maundy Thursday

1904, Painting, Oil, Canvas , Realism

This is a Digital Original of the artwork, digitized using the process. Each DO is verified, blockchain-secured, and comes with full rights for exclusive digital ownership.

Maundy Thursday by Mykola Pymonenko is held in the collection of the Nykanor Onatskyi Regional Art Museum in Sumy.

Maundy Thursday by Mykola Pymonenko

Another of Pymonenko’s masterpieces is a study for the painting "Maundy Thursday," which showcases him as an artist striving to resolve complex pictorial challenges.

The scene takes place on Maundy Thursday when believers depart from the special evening service of the "12 Passion Gospels" of Jesus Christ. The pious tradition of bringing a flame back home endures strongly among the people, passed down through generations. In anticipation of Christ's Resurrection, people's souls, like windows, open to the light of Christ's faith. In this painting, the artist depicted the figures of two women—one young, and one elderly.

Maundy Thursday’s Art Style: Capturing the Mystery of Faith

The artwork is a striking example of the Realism style. The artist's primary technique involved the use of oil on canvas. The sizes of the work are 39.7cm x 49.8cm. Maundy Thursday’s history traces back to 1904.

The color palette of the work features muted dark tones. The artist uses various shades of green and blue to depict the vegetation and sky. The elderly woman's outfit is painted in black, while the young girl is distinguished by her white headscarf. Additionally, the young girl's face is illuminated by the candlelight.

Unique Features. Emotions and Mood of Maundy Thursday

The interplay of light and shadow in the artwork creates a mood of mystery, helping the artist emphasize compositional and thematic focal points, conveying a sense of spatial perspective and the movement of the two figures. They carefully carry a burning candle, whose light casts an almost heavenly glow on their faces, inspired and celebratory.

Explore more works by Mykola Pymonenko

Mykola Pymonenko was renowned for capturing everyday life, customs, and traditions primarily through his oil paintings in the realist style. His works include “Jealousy” (1901), “The Summer Evening” (1900s), “The Girl with the Geese” (1900s), and many more. Explore these and more works, participate in auctions, and purchase the artist's pieces on the UFDA website.

Digital original details

Format
Digital Original Standard
Resolution
400 MPX
Color depth
48 bit 281 Trillion Colors
Original file size
1388 MB DNG File

Physical original details

Country
Ukraine - Sumy
Years
1904
- Styles
  - Realism
- Medium
Physical canvas
39.7cm x 49.8cm
Framing
No framed

Mykola Pymonenko

Mykola Pymonenko was a renowned Ukrainian artist, celebrated as a master of genre painting and a creator of numerous works that captured rural and urban themes.

Summary of Mykola Pymonenko

Pymonenko’s art primarily portrayed scenes from the everyday life of Ukrainian peasants and nature. He is recognized for his expertise in genre, portrait, and landscape painting, playing a pivotal role in shaping the realism style within Ukrainian art.

Biography of Mykola Pymonenko

The artist was born in Kyiv in 1862 to a family of icon painter. He began his artistic journey at the Kyiv Drawing School, under the guidance of Mykola Murashko. Later Pymonenko returned to the school as an instructor. In 1882, he enrolled at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts but had to abandon his studies in 1884 due to health issues and financial difficulties.

In the 1890s, he contributed to the decoration of St. Volodymyr’s Cathedral in Kyiv, showcasing his versatility.

Pymonenko’s paintings were exhibited at international art shows in Paris, Berlin, Munich, and London. At the 1906 exhibition in Munich, one of his paintings earned a prominent position, leading to his recognition as an official member of the Munich Artists' Society. In 1909, his iconic painting “Hopak” was acquired by the Louvre, cementing his reputation. That same year, he was inducted into the French “International Society of Artists”.

The artist passed away in Kyiv in 1912 due to liver disease. A posthumous exhibition at the Academy of Arts in early 1913 featured 184 paintings, 419 studies, and 112 pencil drawings. Over his lifetime, Pymonenko created a vast legacy of over 1,000 works.

Mykola Pymonenko’s Famous Paintings: A Master of Ukrainian Genre Painting and Realism.

The artist captured everyday life, customs, and traditions primarily through his oil paintings in the realist style.

One of his most acclaimed paintings, “Maundy Thursday” (1904), depicts the tradition of bringing home the blessed fire after a church service. The painting portrays two generations walking side by side, symbolizing the continuity of faith and tradition.

Another notable artwork of Mykola Pymonenko, “The Portrait of the Ukrainian Girl”, embodies the folklore ideal of feminine beauty. The painting features a dark-haired, brown-eyed girl with a long braid, dressed in the traditional attire of Left-Bank Ukraine. Her calm yet enigmatic gaze engages viewers, adding depth to the artwork. These and other masterpieces by Pymonenko are available for sale at auction on the UFDA website.

Mykola Pymonenko’s Art Style

Mykola Pymonenko is celebrated as a master of genre paintings that focus on simple yet poignant scenes of everyday life. His work often highlights labor, customs, and the daily lives of peasants, capturing weddings, encounters, and returns from work with heartfelt sincerity. Through his art, he painted a lyrical vision of Ukraine, filled with enchanting landscapes and vibrant people. His characters were often inspired by neighbors, bustling marketplaces, and familiar surroundings.

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