MICHAEL OSINCHUK
1890–1966
Michael Osinchuk
Ukrainian iconographer and painter, muralist Michael Osinchuk relied in his works on the Ukrainian ancient art traditions. He developed his style in frames of Ukrainian Byzantine art. His pictures are detailed and clear. Colors reveal strong skill of the artist; each color is divided into three shades, covered by the rhythm of the lines and strokes, and gives the image icon like expression.
Michael Osinchuk graduated at the Academy of Arts and Krakow University. During his trips through Italy, Greece, France, Turkey, Osinchuk carefully studied Byzantine icons and mosaics. This knowledge included detailed study of Eastern European Galician icons – their technical structure, composition principles and style features.
In collaboration with Pavlo Kovzhun Michael Osinchuk made polychrome paintings in Ukrainian Byzantine style in twelve Galicia churches (villages Ozirna, Sokal, Zashkiv, Dolyna, Myklashiv, Nakonechne, Kalush, Stoyaniv, etc.). Osinchuk also participated in interior decoration of the Cathedral of St. George in Lviv; he designed a few dozen of icons.