Feet. Etudes

Taras Shevchenko. Feet. Etudes. [1835 – 1836. St. Petersburg].
Paper, pencil. 26 × 35,7 cm
Taras Shevchenko National Museum, № g-890.

On the back – "Alexander the Great shows trust to doctor Philip.

Below the figures illegible pencil inscription, found during restoration in 1955 owing to the separation of paper sheet from cardboard.

Studies on foot in different positions of the joints and muscles from academic molds, plaster casts of statues or written outline picture. Particular attention is given to drawing the foot and toes in perspective, probably used in the pictures on subjects from ancient history – "Death of Lucretia" (1835), "Death of Virginia" (1836) and "Alexander the Great shows trust to doctor Philip" (1836).

It is possible that studies are exercises in training in V.G. Shiryaev's workshops, who taught his students drawing "mythological and historical figures".

Dating approximately 1835 – 1836 according to time of these pictures.

Described after a restoration [Chumak K., Kosyan V. Renaissance creations // Art. – 1956. – № 3. – S. 40].

Reproduced at first time.

Storage areas: collection of A.P.Bogoljubov, from 1885 – Radyschevs' Museum in Saratov, from 1940 – Central Museum of T.H. Shevchenko (Kyiv); from 1948 – State Museum of T.H. Shevchenko (Kyiv).

I.M. Verykivska

After publication: T.H. Shevchenko Complete Works in 12 volumes. – K.: Naukova Dumka, 2003, v. 7, p. 204 – 205 (image), p. 422 (notes).