Reshetnova H. Stylistic features of European porcelain of the 18th – early 20th century from private Ukrainian collections

The dissertation is a comprehensive study dedicated to the analysis of the stylistic features of the Western and Eastern European porcelain ware from private collections that were partially included in Ukrainian museum collections. The scientific novelty consists in the identification of porcelain collectors of the late 19th – 20th century, familiarisation with the biography of each of them and determination of their legacy in the museums of Southern, Northern and Eastern Ukraine. A series of works were attributed and introduced to the scientific discourse; stylistic features of porcelain of 18th – early 20th century from Western and Eastern Europe from most of the collections were analysed. O. Hansen’s biography was reconstructed and the fate of the founder of the Third State Museum after the 1920s was clarified in the study. The collector’s German archive was studied. The porcelain collection that was transferred from O. Hansen’s collection to the National Museum of Ukrainian Decorative Art was described. Samples of European porcelain ware were taken from the Khanenkos’ collection that is stored at Bohdan and Varvara Khanenko National Art Museum. The prominent physical chemist O. Brodsky was presented as a collector. Information about the scholar’s wife, V. Brodska-Sheremetieva, was introduced to the academic discourse. The Brodskys’ contribution at the National Museum “Kyiv Picture Gallery” was singled out. Artistic preferences of the Kyiv homeopath D. Popov were determined. The collection was analysed and a series of works that are stored in the One Street Museum and by the doctor’s heirs were introduced to the academic discourse. For the first time, Doctor K. Shpektor’s collection in N. Onatsky Sumy Regional Art Museum (SRAM) was examined, which expands our knowledge about the prominent collection. The porcelain ware from the graphic artist M. Fradkin’s collection was presented which is now stored in Kharkiv Art Museum; the artist’s archive was studied. The study provides biographic data about the collector O. Bilyi, who founded the first highly specialised Ukrainian museum of Russian and Soviet artistic porcelain ware (now O. Bilyi Chornomorsk Museum of Fine Arts). The collection of the famous alpinist and collector O. Blieshchunov was described, which is stored in O. Blieshchunov Odesa Municipal Museum of Private Collections. The inventory cards at Odesa Art Museum (OAM) and SRAM were processed in order to single out items that came from private owners. As a result of the study, information was found that helps describe the personalities of Ukrainian collectors of the late 19th – 20th century more thoroughly. The main part of the study deals with the analysis of individual porcelain items from Ukrainian private collections of the late 19th – 20th century. The items of porcelain manufacturies that are predominant in the abovementioned collections were singled out, namely: Meissen Manufactury, Vienna Imperial Porcelain Manufactury, Berlin and Sèvres Royal Porcelain Manufactury, Russian Imperial Porcelain Factory (IPF) and A. Myklashevskyi’s private enterprise in the former Chernihiv Province. As a result of the study, a number of works were introduced to the academic discourse, a series of new attributions were completed and previous attributions were questioned. The history of the development and work of manufacturies was described and the prominent artists were mentioned. The influence of historical and political situation on the change of tastes and their stylistic orientation was retraced. The aesthetic significance of the items and the reflection of the styles of the 18th – early 20th century was highlighted. It was noted that the style of porcelain ware should be considered taking into account both form and pictures. Visual stylistic analysis contributes to the analysis, but it cannot by the key element of attribution. The depiction of characteristic features of Baroque, Rococo, Classicism, Art Nouveau and other narrow trends and tendencies in porcelain ware confirms that porcelain is a material imprint of the epoch and tastes that were common during a certain period of time in a certain place. It is noted that a considerable amount of porcelain ware stored in Ukrainian museums require a more comprehensive analysis and re-attribution. The discovery and public analysis of Ukrainian collections of European porcelain ware of the 18th – early 20th century involving independent researchers will confirm the integration of items into global cultural space.