Trio

Taras Shevchenko. Trio. Paper, sepia (18.3 × 25.4 cm). [VI – VIII 1851]. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 298.

On the back – inscription in pencil by hand Br. Zaleski: Kyrgyz woman grinds bread by handy millstone and man strum on the simple instrument BZ.

Title of sepia established after Br.Zaleski's letter to A. Vengrzynowsky 21.II 1854, where he gives a description of this figure: "Trio music in the desert, consisting of the Kirghiz, who plays the balalaika, women grinding at the mill, and cow that roaring" ["The question of Shevchenko studies", vol. 1, K., 1958, p. 122].

A picture dated after Br. Zaleski's letter to Shevchenko 2.VI 1859, which shows that Br. Zaleski in 1851 (during the expedition to the Kara-Tau) made a copy of Shevchenko's figure "Trio":

"Trio yours, mine friend, I do not know where it was, maybe you'll meet it now in its homeland. But I have a copy, but only one that I made in the Kara- Tau, I kept it on the memory of you, mine friend, and it, naturally, will not replace the original, but you will correct it now" ["From the correspondence Taras Shevchenko with different persons", "Kyiv antiquity", 1897, Vol. III, p. 474].

Picture may be made only in the long stay of the expedition, when Shevchenko was able to explore the local population, ie, after coming to the valley Apazyr.

In the literature drawing known as "Internal view of kyrgyz tent" [V. G[orlenko], Pictures and etchings by Shevchenko, "Kyiv antiquity", K., 1888, Vol. VI, p. 82], "Young Kirghiz in tent playing domra" ["Images Shevchenko", vol. 1, St. Petersburg, 1911, Tab. 10], "Kyrgyz playing domra" [A. Novitsky, Taras Shevchenko as a painter, Lviv – Moscow, 1914, Tab. 63], "Kyrgyz family" [L.Revutsky, Shevchenko and Folk Song, X., 1930, between p. 33 – 34], "Kyrgyz family in a yurt" [«T. Shevchenko. By the 125th anniversary of his birth. Materials for the anniversary of the libraries", K. – X., 1930, p. 38].

M. G. Burachek ["Great folk artist", X., 1939] and other researchers mistakenly identified this figure with the figure "Kazakh baksa" of 1849.

Outline to the picture "Trio" (head of cow, calf) see number 108.

According to recent reports, the original drawing "Trio" belonged to J. Tarnowsky in the village Sukha near the town Żywec (Poland), and now – at the Warsaw National Museum.

Storage areas: property of V. M. Lazarevsky, D. S. Lazarevsky, collection of E. E. Reitern, State Russian Museum, Leningrad, Institute of Taras Shevchenko, Kharkiv – Kyiv, Gallery of pictures Shevchenko, Kharkiv.

G. P. Palamarchuk, K. V. Chumak

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1964, Vol. 9, № 5 (image), p. 7 – 8 (notes).