Album of 1839 – 1843
In album includes pictures of 1839-1842, made by the artist in St. Petersburg (sketches of illustrations to the "History of the Suvorov" by N. A. Polevoj, to Pushkin's poem "Poltava", sketches on the theme of poetic works of Taras Shevchenko etc.). The vast majority of drawings made in the Ukraine during the first trip in 1843 (Kyiv views, types of peasants and numerous sketches, studies and drafts for "Picturesque Ukraine", "Peasant family" etc.). Figures drawed in pencil, in some cases – ink – pen.
A. P. Novitsky in unpublished work "Paintings of Taras Shevchenko" [Kyiv, 1936] dated album by 1842-1843. But presence in it a number of sketches and drafts for "History of the Suvorov" by N. A. Polevoj, to paintings Shevchenko "Catherine", figures on the homonymous poem "Blind woman" and sketch for the "Centurion's daughter" by G.F. Kvitka-Osnovjanenko, created in 1841 – 1842's, outline "The lectures on anatomy", dated 1840-1841 years, weeds and outline "Maria" after Pushkin's poem "Poltava", made in 1840, and finally sketching sitters made in 1839-1842 years – all this extends chronology of album.
The album has two numbers: one, marked at the top of the sheet and made black ink, enumerates the worksheet (including flyleafs), the second – on the bottom corners of the sheet, blue ink enumerates page (this is a numbering error, omission and repetition).
According to the upper numbering album has 28 pages. The amount of paper – 17,6 × 26,2 cm, all other – 17,6 × 26,5 cm; between the second and third sheets are remnants of a sheet that was cut before the numbering album. Its location is unknown, and whether it contain a picture – also is not known. Before the numbering, moreover, between the third and fourth sheets were torn sheet of picture "In Kyiv," which is stored in the Kiev State Museum of Taras Shevchenko. Sheet 14 was cutted after the numberation and kept in the Kiev State Museum of Taras Shevchenko too (sketch for "Peasant court" and picture "House of Shevchenko's parents in the village Kirillovka"). Front side of the sheet 8, 11, 15, 27 and back sheet 26 – clean; sheet from 21 v. to a sheet 24 v. – poems written inversely to the pictures. Drawings on sheets 19, 21 and sheets 18 v., 20 v. is given as the inverse.
Binding of brown paper, leather spine and corners, flyleaf of green paper. Size settings 18,4 × 27 cm.
In the "Catalogue of V. Tarnowski's Museum of Ukrainian Antiquities" album registered under number 143 without detailed and descriptions of pictures. In the registry works of Taras Shevchenko in the monograph of A. Novitsky "Taras Shevchenko as a painter" (Lviv – Moscow, 1914) mentioned only a few pictures of this album by descriptive names.
Storage areas: property of V. Tarnowskі, V. Tarnowski's Museum of Ukrainian Antiquities in Chernigov – № 143, Chernihiv Regional historical Museum, Institute of Taras Shevchenko, Kharkiv, Institute of Literature named USSR. Shevchenko (Kyiv), inv. number 106.
Served by publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete works in 10s volumes. – K.: 1961, Vol. 7, part 2, p. 1 – 2.