Archive
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 1995 year, special issue "Thanatos" read »
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 2016 year, issue 6 read »
«Narodoznavchi Zoshyty» 2008 year, issue 1-2 read »
2012 year, issue 3 read »

« 2026. # 4 (190)

The Ethnology Notebooks. 2026. № 4 (190), 1150—1164

UDK 75.071.1(=161.2)(443.61+493)”19″

DOI https://doi.org/10.15407/

  • Received: 08.06.2026
  • Accepted: 15.07.2026
  • Published: ??.??.2026

EXPRESSION AND IMAGE IN THE WORK OF YAROSLAV KRUSHELNYTSKYI (SLAVKO): BETWEEN LVIV, PARIS, AND LUXEMBOURG

MAKOYDA Orest

  • ORCID ID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6915-2481
  • Candidate of Sciences in Arts(Ph.D), Head of Department,
  • The Institute of Ethnology of the National Academy
  • of Sciences of Ukraine,
  • Department of Folk Art,
  • 15, Svobody Avenue, 79000, Lviv, Ukraine,
  • Contacts: e-mail: orestmakoyda@gmail.com

Abstract. Throughout the twentieth century, Ukrainian art developed under conditions of complex historical and cultural transformations, which stimulated an active search for new artistic forms and individual stylistic solutions. In this context, particular attention should be paid to the figure of Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi (Slavko) (1916—1973), a Ukrainian émigré artist whose activity was shaped at the intersection of Galician, Western European, and diasporic artistic environments. His oeuvre represents a distinctive synthesis of Post-Impressionist, Expressionist, and modernist tendencies, manifested in dynamic colourism, emotional intensity, and a highly individual painterly manner.

The relevance of the study is prompted the need to reintroduce lesser-known figures of twentieth-century Ukrainian art into scholarly discourse, as well as the necessity of a comprehensive analysis of Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi’s artistic legacy, which has long remained outside the focus of Ukrainian art history. Particular attention is also given to the influence of the Lviv artistic milieu, especially the school of Oleksa Novakivskyi, as well as the artistic centres of Paris and Luxembourg in shaping the artist’s individual style.

The aim of the article is to provide a comprehensive analysis of the figurative and stylistic features of Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi’s art, with a focus on his Paris and Luxembourg periods, and to identify the main sources of formation of his artistic language.

The object of the study is the painterly heritage of Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi, including landscape, portrait, and figurative compositions created at different stages of his career.

The source base consists of the artist’s preserved works from museum and private collections, materials from Ukrainian diaspora periodicals, and selected art historical publications devoted to his work.

The methodology is based on historical-artistic, formal-stylistic, and comparative approaches, which make it possible to trace the evolution of the artist’s manner and identify key artistic influences.

Keywords: Ukrainian art of the 20th century, émigré artist, Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi, Slavko, Expressionism, Post-Impressionism, Lviv, Paris, Luxembourg, painting.

REFERENCES

  • Voloshyn, L. (2024). Oleksa Novakivskyi Art School, 1923—1935: Life Through the Perspective of Time. Lviv; Drohobych: Kolo [in Ukrainian].
  • Biriulov, Yu.O. (2017). Liam Vladyslav. In: Encyclopedia of Modern Ukraine. Kyiv: Institute of Encyclopedic Research of the National Academy of Sciences of Ukraine. Retrieved from: from https://esu.com.ua/article-60034 [in Ukrainian].
  • Kachaluba, M. (1984). Yaroslav Krushelnytskyi (Slavko). Ukrainian Art Digest, 24, 49 [in Ukrainian].
  • Voloshyn, L. (n. d.). Slavko Krushelnytskyi: An Artist of Ecstatic Color Visions. Zbruc. Retrieved from: https://zbruc.eu/node/105363 [in Ukrainian].
  • Marienberger, L. (1960). The Great Paintings of Slavko. Luxembourg [in French].
  • Successes of the Ukrainian Artist (Painter Slavko). (n. d.). Ukrainets-Chas. Diasporiana Digital Library. Retrieved from: https://diasporiana.org.ua [in Ukrainian].
  • Stelmashchuk, H. (2018). Devotion to Ideals as a Way of Life: Mykhailo Kachaluba (110th Anniversary of His Birth). Ethnology notebooks, 1 (139), 232—233 [in Ukrainian].
  • Schaefer, P. (1988). Slavko: Transformed Nature. L’Oeil. Paris [in French].
  • (2007). Hampel Kunst Auktionen. Catalog IV: General Art Auction. Munich [in German].
  • Bailey, M. (2020, October 9). The Most Famous Bedroom in Art History: Secrets of Van Gogh’s Nocturnal Life. The Art Newspaper.
  • Les amis de Sainte-Victoire et Cezanne. (n. d.). Retrieved from: https://web.archive.org/web/20180401075354/http://www.amisdesaintevictoire.asso.fr/la-montagne-sainte-victoire-et-cezanne.html [in French].
  • Jones, J. (2004, October 30). Through a Keyhole. The Guardian. Retrieved from: https://www.theguardian.com/cul­ture/2004/oct/30/1.
Our authors
Yatsiv Roman. Scientific interests: art history,... read »
Olena Nykorak. Senior Researcher, Doctor of Arts read »
Oksana Sapeliak. Senior Research Fellow, Ph.D. in... read »
Roman Radovych. Researcher, Ph.D. in History. read »
On bessarabian and moldavian ukrainians in the studies of historical ethnography
The article has thrown some light upon a sum of scientific findings got during XIX to XXI cc. in historio-ethnographic studies of Bessarabia and Moldavian Ukrainians. In the pre­sent paper has been given author’s answer to the problem of lacking progress as for the numerous themes concerning Ukrainians. State and achievements of the research-works in Ukrainians’ material and spiritual culture by the scientists of Moldavia and Ukraine through the years of independence has been exposed.
Read »

Boikos’ pandemonium: categories of evil deceased
In the article have been presented some research-work on peculiarities of Boikos’ traditional demonological notions as for so-called evil deceased; on the basis of field records and ethnological literary sources quite a number of scum categories have been defined as well as essential habits, modes of behavior and functions of these personages of people’s demonology.
Read »

Traditional folk clothes of velikobychkovsky hutsuly of XIX — the first half of XX century
In the study based upon numerous field materials, literature sources as well as ethnographic, historio-cultural and regional museum collections has been performed complex analysis in traditional folk clothes by Hutzul population of Velyky Bychkiv village in Transcarpathian region. Detailed descriptions of femi­nine and masculine clothing complexes of the mentioned area have been presented. In characterizing of those main attention has been paid to the detail of cut in separate components of dress; cut of feminine shirt has been added as an illustration.
Read »

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 »