Portrait of P. O. Kulish

Taras Shevchenko. Portrait of Panteleimon Alexandrovich Kulish. Oil on canvas (40,3 × 32,2 cm). [May 1843 – January 1847]. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. zh – 90.

Left at the bottom oil paint author's signature: Shevchenko.

This portrait was among the paintings, most of them in 1847, when Shevchenko was arrested, got to III department and was returned to the artist after the exile, as evidenced by his receipt from 29 Jan 1859.

In the description of paintings and drawings of Shevchenko sold at auction May 7, 1861, assembled by M. M. Lazarevsky, indicated that "the portrait of Kulish (oil) is not finished…". It was bought by Markovich in 5 rubles. [Institute of Literature National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine, inv. number 1540]

In the "Catalog of V. Tarnowski's Museum of Ukrainian Antiquities" portrait was listed with name "Head of a young man – in expected, Kulish in youth".

V. Tarnowskі get it from Belozerska, as mentioned by V.P. Gorlenko in a letter to A.M. Lazarevsky October 4, 1887: "From his new acquisitions will show even to the last, unfinished work of Shevchenko, gifted to him by Makarov, and bought from Belozerska – underpainting surprising portrait of a young Kulish, the same Shevchenko" [D. Iofanov Materials for the life and works of Taras Shevchenko, K., 1957, p. 131].

Dated by time of meetings Shevchenko with Kulish from June 1843 to January 1847.

Storage areas: property of A.V. Markovich, Belozerska, V. Tarnowski's Museum of Ukrainian antiquity in Chernigov – № 428, Chernihiv Regional Historical Museum, Gallery of pictures Shevchenko, Kharkiv.

1929 was exhibited at the exhibition of works of T. Shevchenko Chernihiv (Catalog, page 24., № 9).

G.P. Palamarchuk

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1961, Vol. 7, part 1, № 83 (picture), p. 32 – 33 (note).