A. Ivanova, M. Lezviiev. Portrait of the Moulder Yarzupov

On the back of the photograph is an inscription in russian, written in purple ballpoint pen: "Ivanova A.M. Portrait of the Moulder Yarzupov. 1936 Nalchyk, Kabardino-Balkaria". The mural probably depicts an assistant of Mykhailo Lezviiev and Antonina Ivanova, who was engaged in moulding the sculptures during the casting process. However, as with some other examples of signatures on photographs from Antonina Ivanova's archive, the inscription on a version of the photograph of the same work is different and lists Mykhailo Lezviiev as co-author ("Ivanova A. M. Lezviiev M. V. Portrait of a moulder. 1936 Nalchyk"). Given the identity of the handwriting, the author of both inscriptions is the same person, and it is difficult to explain this variation. As for the manner of execution and the approach to the resolution of the images, we tend to believe that Mykhailo Lezviiev was not only a formal artist. After all, in Antonina Ivanova's practice, portraits of this type are rare, such as this mural, which is dominated by an expressive and detailed approach to the interpretation of the monumental image of the moulder, the development of an almost archetypal "man of work" with emphasis on the tired expression of the face and hands of the master who has taken a short break. For example, in a painting by Antonina Ivanova from the same period as "Portrait of a Moulder", "Collective Farm Woman" (Kolhospnytsia) (according to the artist's signature, the list of works in the Gallery's collections lists the work Ж-5142 as "Woman with a Rake"), despite the realistic interpretation, the image of a worker is soft, even to a certain extent lyrical and elegiac. Therefore, we believe it is advisable to mention both artists in the authorship, as we cannot exclude the possibility that Antonina Ivanova did not participate in the work, even with this final result. Information about the artists' collaboration and the "Kabardian period" of their work can be found in detail in these materials: Khorunzha, H., & Maksymiv, M. (2022). Boychukist Mykhailo Lezviiev: Unknown heritage (Works from the collection and archive of Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery). Obrazotvorche Mystetsvo [Fine Arts], 3–4, 94–98. Kyiv and Khorunzha, H., & Maksymiv, M. (2023). Boychukist Mykhailo Lezviiev: Unknown heritage (Works from the collection and archive of Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery). Obrazotvorche Mystetsvo [Fine Arts], 1–2, 82–85. Kyiv.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery