Bathsheba

Taras Shevchenko. Bathsheba. Paper, etching, aquatint (36.2 × 27.1 cm). [St.Petersburg]. [Not later than 30.V] 1860. Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 884.

Right below the image – engraved signature and the date by Shevchenko hand, which was not present on the Briullov's original: Karl Briullov. 1831. Left below the image engraved by his hand: Engraved Shevchenko. 1860.

Described and reproduced by the most perfect impression, but with defective margin. Good copies have size of board and sheet: 42.2 × 33.4 cm (55.7 × 43.7 cm) [Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. Number 672].

Etching made from a photo of Karl Briullov work, presented to Shevchenko by Moscow collector K. T. Soldatenkov in Moscow in 1859, as evidenced by an entry in the Chestahivsky's list at number 8. The original painting is now owned by the State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

The basis for date refinement give a testimony by K. Lazarevska that Fedor Lazarevsky's family kept a copy of the etching of the author's dedicatory inscription: In memory for Theodore Lazarevsky. Shevchenko. May 30, 1860 ["Ukraine", Kyiv, 1929, Vol. 4, p. 48].

The National Museum of Taras Shevchenko also stored printmaking with the author's inscription later time: For Baron Petr Karlovich Klodt // sincerely respected Shevchenko // 1860 year // September 4 [Taras Shevchenko National Museum, inv. g – 312]. At the same time made inscription on the etching, owned by prof. V. A. Desnitski in Leningrad: For Aleksander Pavlovich Briullov. Shevchenko. 1860 year. September 4.

According to A. Novitsky, there was a copy of the same etching earlier state without the author's signature and date [A. Novitsky, Taras Shevchenko as a painter, Lviv – Moscow, 1914, pp. 80, № 627].

The Pushkin Museum of Fine Arts in Moscow stored lithographic print of etching board with the inscription: "Allowed by censorship. Lithograph A. P. Chervyakov" [Archive of D. Rovinsky, number 35675].

In the literature is found inaccurate dating 1858 – 1860 [S. E. Raevsky, Life and works of artist Taras Shevchenko, X., 1939, p. 112] and called "Susanna" (Chestahivsky's list, № 9), "Bathsheba in the pool" ["Images Shevchenko", vol. 1, SPb., 1911, Tab. 6].

Previous storage of described instance: Central museum of Taras Shevchenko Kyiv, Kyiv State Museum of Ukrainian Art.

In 1860 a copy of this etching exhibited at the annual exhibition at the Academy of Arts (№ 28). In cases of receipt of exhibits at this exhibition indicates that etching "Bathsheba" presented by Shevchenko the title of academician [Central State Historical Archive in Leningrad, fund 789, op. 3, unit 84, fol. 12, № 71], in 1909 – 1910 – at the exhibition of drawings and prints at the Academy of arts, in 1911 – at Shevchenko's exhibition in Moscow (the Product, № 12), and the exhibition of works of art Shevchenko in Kiev (Product, № 81), in 1929 – at the exhibition works of Taras Shevchenko in Chernihiv (Catalogue, p. 18, № 12), in 1939 – at the Republican Shevchenko Jubilee exhibition in Kyiv (Product, № 361).

L. I. Vnuchkova

After publication: Taras Shevchenko Complete Works in 10 volumes. – Kyiv: ed. Academy of sciences of UkrSSR, 1963, v. 10, № 54 (image), p. 34 – 35 (note).