St. Michael`s church in Pereiaslav-Khmelnytskyi 1845

Taras Shevchenko made this watercolor painting of St. Michael's Church in Pereiaslav in 1845. Watercolor is a humble medium, but perfect for the way Shevchenko captures the light on this building. The quick, fluid strokes of the brush suggest that he worked en plein air, or outdoors, capturing the scene directly. Look at the washes of color, diluted with water to create translucent layers. This was a technique he likely learned in the Academy. But instead of using it to create a grand history painting, he applied his skill to document the vernacular architecture of Ukraine. There is so much light and atmosphere to it, so alive with the moment of its making, that this work is elevated far beyond a mere record of a place. The very act of painting, and the material of watercolor itself, became tools of cultural preservation. It reminds us that even the simplest of materials, in skilled hands, can carry profound meaning.