Image of the City in Watercolours by Uzhhorod Artist Vasyl Kohutych

Abstract

The purpose of the study is to identify the features of the artistic understanding of urban space in the watercolour works of the Uzhhorod artist V. Kogutych, as well as to determine the specifics of the formation of the image of the city in the context of the regional artistic tradition of Transcarpathia. The methodological basis of the study is art history and culturology approaches, as well as the method of comparative stylistic analysis of works and the iconographic method for the study and interpretation of urban motifs. Elements of structural analysis of composition, coloristic and spatial solutions, as well as a contextual approach to clarify the connection between V. Kohutych’s work and the Transcarpathian school of painting are involved. Scientific novelty. For the first time, the artistic urban landscape in V. Kohutych’s watercolours has been systematically analysed as a separate layer of modern Transcarpathian art. The author’s individual techniques of working with colour, light and air effects that form the author’s model of the urban landscape have been identified. It is shown how the artist combines realistic fixation of architectural motifs with romanticisation of space, creating an emotionally rich visual representation of the city. Conclusions. As a result of the research, it was found that V. Kohutych’s watercolours form a holistic author's artistic concept, where the city appears as a living, dynamic and at the same time chamber space. The artist reveals the individual rhythm of the city through light, colour and texture of watercolours, which allows the author to consider his works as a significant contribution to the development of the modern urban landscape. Besides, V. Kohutych’s creative work actualises the national cultural identity and reflects the cultural narrative of the Transcarpathian art school.