Tales by Leopold Levitsky

Illustrations to Transcarpathian tales by famous Lviv graphic

Ukrainian artist Leopold Levitsky lived and worked in Lviv, inspired by this city, its history and images. In the mid 1950s he created some book design with illustrations on historical themes.

1955 Levitsky made illustrations to the book “Transcarpathian tales” by Ukrainian folk storyteller Andrew Kalina. The book was republished four times – including new naming “Tales Of Verkhovyna”.

Leopold Levitsky performed one picture for each tale and one small original ending picture. He created about 200 illustrations for this collection. All of them marked by the original plot, simple composition, concise language and strong the drawing technique.

The Library of Ukrainian Art presents Leopold Levitsky’s “Zakarpattya fairy tales” for the first time online. Here are just pictures, the complete book can be downloaded here.

Illustration by Levitsky and tales by Andrew Kalina, who remained an orphan at the age of 7 and was illiterate before 37 years old, form an extraordinary harmonious unity. In the colorful images presented the best national heroes of the Ukrainian people – a master Ivanko, Mandrivnychok, Ruzha, Dulyana The Wise and many others. Tales can be divided into those that retain the traditional plot scheme and tales created by Kalina himself. Leopold Levitsky has shown all these characters and their stories as if they had seen with his own eyes …