Yaroslav PSTRAK (1878-1916), "Study of a Monk".

watercolor, cardboard, 17.5 x 14 cm,
sign. medr.p.: J.Pstrak
Handwritten inscription J.Pstrak on the reverse.
Image from the collection of Henryk Bednarski (1907-1991), a prominent Lviv collector and bibliophile, author of texts on art, archaeology and architecture. In the collector's catalog no. 227.



Yaroslav PSTRAK (1878-1916).
Ukrainian painter, draughtsman and printmaker. He initially studied painting with his uncle in Chernivtsi, and in 1895-1899 studied at the Munich academy, where, among other things, he became familiar with the pastel technique. In 1899 he settled in Lviv, and soon afterwards traveled around Europe. The artist was friends with Ivan Trush, who he met in Lviv. He owes much of his popularity to his portrait work, and spent several times in the Hutsul region, which resulted in numerous landscapes, portraits of peasants and scenes from the life of the Hutsul people. Ca. 1909 he made paintings for the Orthodox churches in Verkhovyna and Ilitsa. He painted religious, battle and historical scenes, and is known for his satirical drawings for Lviv magazines "Komar" and "Zwierciadło", book illustrations; a series of postcards published in Krakow and Lviv undoubtedly contributed to the popularization of his paintings.