« 2025. # 3 (183)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2025. № 3 (183), 509—520

UDK [75.071.1.03.04:929](477)”18/19″(093)

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

MODEST SOSENKO. ASPECTS OF THE ARTIST’S LIFE AND WORK. CLARIFICATIONS AND CORRECTIONS IN THE LIGHT OF NEW MATERIALS. TO THE 150TH ANNIVERSARY OF HIS BIRTH

SEMCHYSHYN-HUZNER Olesia

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-9677-995X
  • Сandidate of Arts (Ph. D), Senior Researcher,
  • The Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv, 
  • Department of Ukrainian Art of the 19th—20th centuries,
  • 20, Svobody Avenue, 79008, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts:  e-mail: olesiasem17@gmail.com

Abstract. Introduction. This publication is dedicated to the anniversary of the birth of Ukrainian artist Modest Sosenko, who worked at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. It is based on materials that had previously escaped the attention of art historians researching the artist’s life and work. 

Problem Statement. Despite the considerable body of publications from various periods and a thorough monograph, the study of the artist’s oeuvre still requires further clarification and refinement. The aimof this article is to expand the knowledge about Modest Sosenko and outline directions for deeper research. 

The object of the study is the figure of the artist himself, significant moments and milestones of his life, and his artistic legacy within the broad context of the historical period.

The subject of the study is the specific features of the artist’s professional formation and development.

Research Methodology. The research is based on methods of systematization, comparison, description, art analysis, generalization, and others. 

The territorial and chronological scope includes the places where the artist lived and worked—Eastern and Western Galicia, Germany (Munich), France (Paris), Northern Italy (around the town of Vipiteno), the Dalmatian coast (now Croatia and Montenegro), Wadowice—and covers the years of his life: 1875—1920.

 Results. Based on new data and clarified facts, the article provides a clearer understanding of Modest Sosenko’s personal ties with Andrey Sheptytsky and the Metropolitan’s family. The dates of certain monumental and easel works by the artist have been refined, along with their characteristics. Attention is also drawn to previously unknown or little-known easel works by the artist mentioned in various sources.

Keywords: Modest Sosenko, image, iconostasis, mural pain ting, fine art, artistic legacy.

Received 28.05.2025

REFERENCES

  • Svientsitsky, I. (1927). Modest Sosenko (1875—1920). Prague: Ukrainian Youth Publishing House [in Ukra inian].
  • Radomska, W. (1991). The Return of Modest Sosenko. Fine Arts, 1, 4—7 [in Ukrainian].
  • Voloshyn, L. (2004). Modest Sosenko — an artist of Ukrainian modernism (Years of studies: Krakow, Munich, Paris). Notes of the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Proceedings of the Commission on Fine and Applied Arts (Vol. ССXLVIII, pp. 191—210). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Voloshyn, L. (2010). Modest Sosenko: the first years of creativity in the Motherland. Сhronicle of the Andrei Sheptytskyi National museum in Lviv, 7 (12), 211—226 [in Ukrainian].
  • Rudenko, O. (2011). Manuscript book in the works of M. So senko. The Ethnology Notebooks, 2 (98), 327—331[in Ukrainian].
  • Lukan, V. (2016). Metropolitan and artist. Andrey Sheptytskyi and Modest Sosenko. Local historian of Prykarpattya, 26, 17—21. Retrieved from: http://hdl.handle.net/123456789/6375 (16.05.2025) [in Ukrainian].
  • Semchyshyn-Нuzner, O. (2011). On the relationship between Modest Sosenko and Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky: copying ancient monuments. Сhronicle of the Andrei Sheptytskyi National museum in Lviv, 8 (13), 143—158 [in Ukrainian]. 
  • Semchyshyn-Нuzner, O. (2011). The Heritage of Modest Sosenko in the Field of Modern Sacred Art. Notes of the Shevchenko Scientific Society. Proceedings of the Commission on Fine and Applied Arts (Vol. ССLXI, pp. 302—324). Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Semchyshyn-Нuzner, O. (2012). Modest Sosenko’s participation in the decoration of the Mykola Lysenko Music Institute in Lviv in 1912—1916. Сhronicle of the Andrei Sheptytskyi National museum in Lviv, 9 (14), 170—181 [in Ukrainian].
  • Semchyshyn-Нuzner, O. (2020). Modest Sosenko (1875—1920). Lviv: Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv [in Ukrainian].
  • Trush, I. (1905). Our Artist Painters. Artistic Bulletin, IX—X, 132—135 [in Ukrainian]. 
  • Sosenko, M. (July 9, 1902). Letter to A. Sheptytsky. Munich. Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine, Lviv. F. 358. Op. 2. Spr. 259 [in German].
  • Zastyrets, Y. (1920). Reformer of Ukrainian church painting. Nova Rada (Part 34, p. 3) [in Ukrainian].
  • (1920). Modest Sosenko. Posthumous memorial. Nova Rada (Part 28 (104), p. 4)[in Ukrainian].
  • Documents about M. Sosenko’s studies at the Academy of Arts in Munich in 1900—1902. (Manuscript). Andrey Sheptytskyi National Museum in Lviv. Department of Manuscripts and old printed books. Rkk-3242 [in German].
  • Sosenko, M. (August 7, 1901). Letter to A. Sheptytsky. Munich. Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine, Lviv. F. 358. Op. 2. Spr. 259 [in Ukrainian].
  • Sosenko, K. (1920). On the Works of Modest Sosenko. Nova Rada (Part 43 (119), pp. 3—4) [in Ukrainian].
  • Pohranychnyi, V. (2003). The iconostasis of the Church of the Holy Trinity in Drohobych — a landmark of Galician sacral art. Sacral art of the Boykivshchyna: Six scientific Draganov readings: collection of articles (Pp. 151—190) [in Ukrainian].
  • Chronicle of the Monastery of St. Onuphrius in Lviv. (1902—1917). Central State Historical Archive of Ukraine, Lviv. F. 684. Op. 1. Spr. 2195 [in Ukrainian].
  • Vuytsyk, V. (2004). Monastery of St. Onuphrius in Lviv. In: Volodymyr Vuytsyk. Selected Works. To the 70th Anniversary of His Birth. Bulletin of the Institute «Ukrzakhidproektrestavratsiya» (Issue 14, pp. 48—59) [in Ukrainian].
  • Matkovsky, I. (2019). Dr. Casimir Count Sheptytsky — Father Clement: Polish aristocrat, Ukrainian hieromonk, Exarch of Russia and Siberia, Archimandrite of the Studites, Righteous Among the Nations, Blessed of the Catholic Church. 1869—1951. Retrieved from: https://ju.org.ua/pict_mod/pictures/226_item_file_sheptitskiy-um.pdf [in Ukrainian].
  • O. O. F. (1912). Letter from Vienna. Ruslan (Part 206, pp. 1—2) [in Ukrainian].
  • Pachovsky, V. (1912). Performance of a church art at the Eucharistic Congress in Vienna 1912. (Ausstellung fьr kirchliche Kunst). Ruslan (Part 213, pp. 3—4; part 214, pp. 3—4; part 215, pp. 3—4)[in Ukrainian].
  • Chivesar, T. (1920). Memories of Wadowice. Nova Rada (Part 26 (102), p. 2; part 27 (103), p. 2; part 28 (104), p. 2; part 29 (105), p. 2). The illness of Mr. Modest Sosenko…. Nova Rada (Part 19 (95), p. 4) [in Ukrainian]. 
Our authors
Maternity ritualism by volhynians in publications of the second half XIX to the early XXI cc.
In the article have been considered some basic landmarks for fixing and publication of ethnographic materials on the maternity rites of Volhynia with analytical study in ritual elements, their kinds and territories of origin. The article has also raised a problem of gaps in studies of maternity rites of Ukrainian historio-ethnographic Volhynia.
Read »

On field exploration of russian and belarusian ethnologists and etnolinguists in Ukrainian Polisia 1945—1980s
In the study based on a wide range of literary materials have been comprehensively characterised field research in Polisia of Ukraine, performed by Russian and Belarusian ethnologists during 1945—1980s as well as Moscow ethnolinguists and other researchers from ethnologic centres of Russia, Ukraine and Belarus in the course of realization of Ethnolinguistic Atlas of Polisia program. Particular attention has been paid to geography, methods, themes and research results of scientific projects.
Read »

Daily bread baking of ukrainians in the south-western ethnographical region at the late XIX to early XXI cc.
The paper has dealt with analytic study in prescriptions, signs, customs, methods, ways of selection, procurement and some peculiarities in usage of subsidiary means — water, firewood and leaves in bread baking. The final aim of the mentioned actions had been (and still is) selection of the means and ingredients fit, by their characteristics, for the backing of bread. The paper has demonstrated dependence of bread backing subsi­diary means criteria from the folk nutritional standards and world outlook stereotypes as well as from regional social and economic, natural and geographical factors and peculiarities of material culture.
Read »

Wax candle as ukrainian Christmas and epiphany ritualistic text
For the first time in native ethnology the article has brought some results of special study in sign functionality of a wax candle under the context of Ukrainian Christmas and Epiphany ritualistic text (ritualism of Christmas Eve, New Year, Epiphany Eve and Feast of Epiphany). The study has stated extremely high semiotic position of a wax candle as projection of Sun, mediator between the spheres of sacral and prophane elements, symbolic analogue of human existence, apotropy, cultural symbol re-establishing borders of acculturated space.
Read »