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VITALI SHVEDUL

Vitali Shvedul was born on February 25, 1967 in Nikolayev in the south of Ukraine. He studied at the Crimean Art School during 1982-86 where he learned the manner of the Kiev realistic painting school. In 1987 he joined the portrait workshop at the Surikov State Art Institute in Moscow, under the guidance of one of the most distinguished Russian painters of the 20th century, Professor Ilya Glazunov (honored as “People’s Artist of the USSR”). The work under Glazunov was hard but interesting, making it possible for Shvedul to become a technically confident, well-trained, serious and profoundly realistic artist of unique personality. Shvedul was brought up on the very best examples of world art and Russian Orthodox culture. Together with other students and followers of Ilya Glazunov he revived the traditions of realistic painting, bringing true spirituality to the art observer. The young talents concentrated around Glazunov penetrated into the secrets of the large art form and lofty art. Their training and skills are now recognized as some of the best in the world, combined with adherence to the most outstanding samples of European culture and spirituality. Shvedul is one of the most prominent artists of contemporary realism in the 20th century. Landscape painting plays an important role in Vitali Shvedul’s art. He takes special pleasure in depicting mountain scenes, full of mysterious and powerful life which one has to become aware of. The artist feels deeply the spirit and life of a landscape. Despite the variety of his creative interests, Shvedul is first and foremost a master of portrait. His portraits are characterized by deep and serious representation of the human image and its expression of emotion. His manner in painting is notable for its confidence, power, balance and variety of representative methods. He has developed a unique palette technique that distinguishes him from his contemporaries, and has helped him explore new horizons in the expression of human emotion. It is not by chance that Shvedul endeavors to depict Christ, for recognizing the reality of the ideal in the world makes possible not only art, but man’s invaluable existence as well. The Gospel theme, ever living and always topical is revealed in the artist’s work The Savior’s Parting Words to his Disciples. Vitali Shvedul continues working on Biblical themes, is painting landscapes and portraits and is deeply moved by contemporary life. His overwhelming ambition is to expand his work for the benefit of Russian culture in the post-soviet era. Vitali Shvedul’s work has been exhibited in Moscow, Kiev, Saint Petersburg, London, Paris, Madrid, Toledo, Segovia, Avila, Samara and Rome. His work is represented in important collections in Palm Beach, San Francisco, Paris and Monte Carlo. One the most acclaimed works, “SAVIOUR’S PARTING WORDS TO HIS DISCIPLES” is in permanent exhibition at the Hall of the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach. Schvedul has been commissioned to paint numerous portraits by the Romanoff family and other members of Russian nobility residing in France and Spain.

Notes by P. Yermelov, Professor Emeritus at the Moscow Academy of Art, Sculpture and Architecture.