The Temple Motive as a Visualisation of the "Power Place" in the Painting by Kyiv Artist Hennadii Puhachevskyi

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to highlight the motif of the temple in the painting of the representative of the Kyiv school, Hennadii Puhachevskyi. The research methodology is based on a combination of a comprehensive approach (for a comprehensive analysis of the image of the temple in the general context of the master’s painting work), iconographic (when analysing the artistic features of specific works), biographical (for highlighting individual stages of the artist’s creative biography), comparative (for comparing works executed in different techniques, different periods of time) methods. The scientific novelty of the work is seen primarily in the fact that a number of works of painting are introduced into scientific circulation, which until now were not known to the general public and did not become the subject of art historical analysis. The focus is on works created during the war, since 2022, in various cities of Ukraine that suffered from military actions, when the temple as a symbol of spiritual salvation acquired particular relevance. Conclusions. The temple in the painting by Hennadii Puhachevskyi is highlighted as a symbol of faith, an object of aspiration of a person seeking salvation, a sign that personifies a unifying force for those in difficulty. The image of the temple is analysed primarily in watercolour technique, sometimes in gouache, acrylic. The analysis of the artist’s individual manner is made, the features of the technique are emphasised, the works are introduced into the general context of the artistic achievements of the master, who is known primarily as a professional in the field of graphic arts, a parallel is drawn with his graphic sheets. The distinctive features of the technique in which the sheets are made are characterised. The peculiarities of colour, properties inherent in plein air painting, in which the analysed works are mainly made, are highlighted. The importance of popularising monuments of sacred architecture in the conditions of modern challenges and current political realities is emphasised.