The Verbicki Dynasty of artists.

The Verbicki dynasty of artists

The Verbicki dynasty of artists originates in 1870 from Ioan Verbicki, an artist, inventor, abbot of the Cathedral and copyist.

Today, I know of 5 generations of artists, including me.

Unfortunately, there are no photographs of Great-grandfather Ioan in the family archive.

My name is Serhiy Verbicki and on this page I will introduce you to my family.

Serhiy Verbicki

Artist

I will tell one short story from my childhood that shaped the direction of my development for almost my entire life. Here it is:

I am 5 years old.

I approach my mother, an artist, and ask her to teach me how to draw.

-What for? Mother asks, and without hearing a quick, unequivocal answer, leaves.

I think about this question for a while and run to Mom with the answer.

- I want to be an artist.

- It is possible to teach a monkey to draw, but it will not make it an artist.

Mother answers and leaves again.

It overturned my newborn and monkey-like one-step worldview then. I thought a lot about how it all works in this world.

Then all my life I adapted Mother's science where it was needed and, much more often, where it was not needed at all.

This is a painful and at the same time fascinating path of an inventor, on which I lost many opportunities, but also gained the most valuable - what I consider real art.

The next day, Mom brought me a drawing album, paints, pencils and brushes. She said I could watch her and my father work and use her art library carefully. That’s all.

My page here:

My father

Artist, watercolorist, copyist, author of the unique watercolor monotype technique.

Serhiy (senior) Verbicki.

1956-2013

Wonderful Man, was my best friend. And not just for me. Many people remember him with bright memories.

He left a large inheritance for the family collection, many of my father's works are kept in private collections and museums.

In addition to participating in the copying of Taras Shevchenko's works, (together with his father Heorhiy Verbytskyi, he made more than 350 museum copies of Taras Shevchenko's works), he fulfilled orders (1996–1998) for the National Art Museum named after Varvara and Bohdan Khanenko, copying the works of Dutch masters. Serhiy, like his father Heorhiy, was involved in the creation of the feature film "Études about Vrubel" (1989), for which it was necessary to make copies of the artist's works stored in the Kyiv Art Gallery. He was a participant of numerous international exhibitions. Serhiy Verbicki’s works are kept in many private collections in different parts of the world. He is the author of the unique watercolor monotype technique.

Father's page herе:

My grandfather

Painter, Watercolorist, Copyist, Innovator, Honored Artist of Ukraine.

Heorhiy Verbicki

1920-2011

Creative works of my grandfather Heorhiy Verbicki are kept in more than twenty museums in different countries. As well as in many private and family collections. Heorhiy was an innovator, an experimenter and a true fan of his work. A master with a big letter M.

He had a unique talent for museum copying of watercolor works and was able to pass it down on to his son (my father) Serhiy Verbicki. The difficulty of copying water color is that the Master has no right to make a mistake. Because unlike copying works made with oil paints, steps in watercolor cannot be undone. One wrong stroke and the work is considered unsuccessful. And the magic lies in the fact that it is almost impossible to control the watercolor filling on paper, as well as to reproduce the coincidences created by another master. But Heorhiy Verbicki managed it. In the whole world, there are only a handful of masters of copying watercolors of this level.

Heorhiy Verbicki was a deep connoisseur of Shevchenko's technique of watercolor art and an iconic figure for the National Shevchenko Museum of Ukraine. Together with my father, Serhiy Verbicki (senior), they made more than 350 museum copies of Taras Shevchenko's works for museum exhibitions and private collections. One unique copy, the original of which has been lost, is kept in the family collection.

He survived the war, German captivity and Soviet camps. He almost died in the mine of the Soviet camp from water in his lungs. But he drew a copy of Kuindzhi's painting with charcoal on the wall from memory, the supervisors saw it and he was granted amnesty, because at that time there was a request for artists from the state. (He could have also ended up in solitary confinement, because such creativity was forbidden). Heorhiy said that regardless of external circumstances, you need to know who you are and do your own thing - this is the meaning of life. I remembered this well. And when he found himself in the occupation, considering the fact that he did not have a firearm, without a doubt he implemented his creative ideas until our house cooled down.

Grandfather's page here:

My great grandfather

Artist, Athlete. Painter, graphic artist, book illustrator, poster artist.

Mykola Verbicki

1893-1983

Painter, graphic artist, book illustrator, poster artist.

He worked in a classical manner. Now there are several of his works left in the family collection: a portrait of his son Heorhiy Mykolayovych Verbicki, a portrait of grandson Serhiy Georgyovych Verbicki and a few more. Unfortunately, all other works were lost during the Second World War.

Great grandfather’s page here:

My great-great-grandfather Ioan Verbicki

1870-1924

Artist, inventor, abbot of the Greek Catholic Cathedral.

Unfortunately, there are no photos left.

Painted icons (church). He had patents for his inventions in France. He was an excellent copyist of the words of his friend, the artist of the “Peredvizhniki” movement, Mykola Dmytrovych Kuznetsov.

In 1924, because of a tip-off, he was shot by the Chekists (members of Soviet secret police agency) in front of his family for sheltering in his house and saving the Jewish community members during pogroms before the revolution.

One of his works was in the collection of Tsar Alexander III.

Unfortunately, none of his works remained in the family collection.