ANOTHER FAVORITE FROM THE UKRAINE

 

 

VIKTOR ZARETSKY was born in Bilopillya, Ukraine in 1925.  A graduate of the Kyiv State Art Institute, he taught there and worked as a graphic artist.

He and his wife Alla Horska  (Next Blog) were part of the “Sixtiers”, a name given in Ukraine to the 1960s group of artists who rejected the principles of Socialist Realism.* With their creativity they refused to let their artworks (paintings, poems, plays, etc.) serve the interests of the Soviet authorities.

 This dissident movement advocated the development of the Ukrainian language and culture as a whole, laying the foundations for the realization of the rights of the Ukrainian people to their own statehood. That is why the Sixtiers were often followed, summoned for questioning, arrested, and even sent to the penal colonies.

 At the beginning of his career, Viktor addressed the themes that resonated with Socialist Realism. However, he did not paint portraits of leaders. His paintings and mosaics reflect themes that found echoes and empathy within himself. For example, the themes of peasant and miner labor. He is often called the Ukrainian Gustav Klimt, yet  he developed his own artistic language making his paintings unique.

"Zaretsky saw in Klimt his own alter ego, found in him something that he had no chance to experience, namely freedom of creativity without ideological limitations.”  –Olesya Avramenko.

1970 was a tragic year for the artist. He lost both his father and wife on the same day. A full investigation was never conducted and the case was labeled as domestic violence. According to officials, Viktor’s father first killed his daughter-in-law and then died by suicide by throwing himself under a train. However, there were many inconsistencies which  indicate that it might have been fabricated. Alla’s family and friends were certain that the murders were perpetrated by the KGB.  (Photo: Viktor & Alla)

 After these tragic events, there were fewer social contacts and much more work in the artist’s life. One would think that all things considered, his work would taker on a gloomy aspect, yet this was far from the case..  His Secession-style paintings, for which he was nicknamed the Ukrainian Gustav Klimt, were created in the 1970s-1980s and made him famous.

In 1990, 20 paintings by the artist were sold at Christie’s auction. In addition to museums, his paintings are found in private collections in Ukraine, Great Britain, Switzerland, and France. The value of his artworks is also indicated by the fact that his artworks are often forged.

I love the work of Klimt, so maybe this is why this artist appeals to me.