Jazep Drazdovič (1888–1954, Belarusian: Язэп Нарцызавіч Драздовіч, ) was a Belarusian painter, archaeologist, and ethnographer. Born in the present day Hłybokaje District in the family of a landless nobleman, Drazdovič studied in

Dzisna Dzisna ( be, Дзісна, russian: Дисна, lt, Dysna, pl, Dzisna) is a town in the Vitebsk Region of Belarus. It is located on the left bank of the Daugava River, near the confluence of Dysna. It has 1,500 inhabitants (2017 estimate) wh ...

Vitebsk Region Vitebsk Region or Vitebsk Oblast or Viciebsk Voblasts ( be, Ві́цебская во́бласць, ''Viciebskaja voblasć'', ; rus, Ви́тебская о́бласть, Vitebskaya oblast, ˈvʲitʲɪpskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a region (oblast ...

, after that in

Vilnia The Vilnia (also ''Vilnelė''; , ''Vilnia'' ; ) is a river in Lithuania. Its source is near the village of Vindžiūnai, 5 km south of Šumskas, at the Lithuanian-Belarusian border. The Vilnia is 79.6 km long and its basin covers 624&n ...

under

Ivan Trutnev Ivan Petrovich Trutnev (russian: Ива́н Петро́вич Тру́тнев; 1827, Likhvin — 18 February 1912, Vilnius) was a Russian painter and art teacher. Biography He was born into a peasant family but, in 1845, was able to gain ad ...

.Drazdovič's biography on the website of Belarusian National Arts Museum (in Belarusian).
/ref> Today Drazdovič's works are preserved in

Belarusian National Arts Museum The National Art Museum of the Republic of Belarus ( be, Нацыянальны мастацкі музей Рэспублікі Беларусь) is the largest art museum in Belarus and is located in Minsk. The museum comprises more than thirty t ...

Belarusian National History Museum Belarusian National History and Culture Museum is a museum in Minsk, Belarus. The leading Museum of the historic profile of the Republic of Belarus is the biggest collection of the monuments of material and spiritual culture of the Belarusian peo ...

and

National Museum of Lithuania The National Museum of Lithuania ( lt, Lietuvos nacionalinis muziejus), established in 1952, is a state-sponsored historical museum that encompasses several significant structures and a wide collection of written materials and artifacts. It also or ...

Early life

Jazep was born on October 13, 1888, in the village of Punki, Dzisna County, Vilna Province, in the family of an impoverished nobleman. When he was two, his father died; Jazep and his five brothers were raised by their mother, and soon the family was left without land and a home. The family often had to change their place of residence, renting land. Drazdovich began his studies with a private teacher, then he studied at the Dzisna Gymnasium, and in 1906 moved to

Vilnius Vilnius ( , ; see also other names) is the capital and largest city of Lithuania, with a population of 592,389 (according to the state register) or 625,107 (according to the municipality of Vilnius). The population of Vilnius's functional urb ...

, where he entered the art school of the famous Russian painter

, which he graduated in 1908. Drazdovich worked in art workshops and planned to go abroad to earn money. Drazdovich was greatly influenced by the Belarusian national revival. At this time, he made his first steps in art: he created a series of graphic works with landscapes of the Dzisna region, decorated the cover of the "First Belarusian Calendar for 1910", published by

Nasha Niva ''Nasha Niva'' ( be, Наша Ніва, Naša Niva, lit. "Our field") is one of the oldest Belarusian weekly newspapers, founded in 1906 and re-established in 1991. ''Nasha Niva'' became a cultural symbol, due to the newspaper's importance as a p ...

. In 1910 he was drafted into the Russian army. After two years of service in Saratov, he graduated from paramedic courses and began working in a clinic. Drazdovich met the First World War in the active army, with a reserve battalion on the Western Front. Due to difficult working conditions, Jazep Drazdovich fell ill with typhoid fever and was hospitalized for two months. After a seven-month vacation to visit his homeland, he returned to the army.

Gallery

Historical-themed works

Drazdovicz Usiaslau.jpg, Усяслаў Полацкі ў парубе пад палатамі кіеўскага князя (

Vseslav the Sorcerer Vseslav of Polotsk or Vseslav Bryachislavich ( 1029 – 24 April 1101), also known as ''Vseslav the Sorcerer'' or ''Vseslav the Seer'', was the most famous ruler of Polotsk and was briefly Grand Prince of Kiev in 1068–1069. Together with Rostis ...

), 1923 Я. Драздовіч Пагоня.jpg, Пагоня (

Pahonia The coat of arms of Lithuania consists of a mounted armoured knight holding a sword and shield, known as (). Since the early 15th century, it has been Lithuania's official coat of arms and is one of the oldest European coats of arms. It is als ...

), 1927 Я. Драздовіч Друкарня Францыска Скарыны ў Вільні.jpg, Друкарня Францішка Скарыны ў Вільні (

Francysk Skaryna Francysk Skaryna (alternative transcriptions of his name: ''Francišak Skaryna'' or ''Francisk Skaryna''; lat, Franciscus Scorina, be, Францыск (Францішак) Скарына ; pl, Franciszek Skaryna, cs, František Skorina; ...

s printing house in

), 1940—1943 Я. Драздовіч Князь Усяслаў Чарадзей пад Гародняй.jpg, Усяслаў Чарадзей пад Гародняй (Vseslav the Sorcerer near

Grodno Grodno (russian: Гродно, pl, Grodno; lt, Gardinas) or Hrodna ( be, Гродна ), is a city in western Belarus. The city is located on the Neman River, 300 km (186 mi) from Minsk, about 15 km (9 mi) from the Polish b ...

), 1944

Architecture

Hiermanavičy. Германавічы (1917).jpg, Германавічы. Касцёл (Hiermanavičy, Catholic church), 1917 Miensk, Trajeckaja hara, Bazylanski. Менск, Траецкая гара, Базылянскі (J. Drazdovič, 1919).jpg, Менск. Выгляд са Шпітальна-Траецкага завулка (Minsk, view from Hospital-Troitskae street), 1919 г. Miensk, Zamčyšča. Менск, Замчышча (J. Drazdovič, 1920).jpg, Менск. Абрыў Замкавай гары і прыбярэжная грэбля на правым беразе ракі Свіслач (Minsk, near Castle Hill and the Śvisłač river), 1920 Hłybokaje, Karmelickaja. Глыбокае, Кармэліцкая (J. Drazdovič, 1925).jpg, Глыбокае. Кармеліцкі касцёл і кляштар ( Hłybokaje, Carmelite Catholic church), 1925

Cosmos

Я. Драздовіч Над безданню.jpg, Над безданню (Upon abyss), 1931 Я. Дроздович. Обсерватория на кольце Сатурна. 1931.jpg, Абсерваторыя на кальцы Сатурна (Observatory on the ring of Saturn), 1931 Я. Драздовіч Сустрэча вясны на Сатурне.jpg, Сустрэча вясны на Сатурне (Welcoming spring coming on Saturn), 1931 Я. Драздовіч Агляд зімовых пячораў сатурнянамі.jpg, Агляд зімовых пячораў сатурнянамі (Saturnians watches their winter caves) Язэп Драздовіч. Cosmopolis. «Порт нябеснага прастору» на кольцы Сатурна.jpg, Cosmopolis. «Порт нябеснага прастору» на кольцы Сатурна (Cosmopolis. "Port of the sky" on the ring of Saturn) Я. Драздовіч Вечар у пустэльні на Марсе.jpg, Вечар у пустэльні на Марсе (Evening in the Martian desert) Я. Драздовіч Мінулае.jpg, Мінулае (The Past) Jazep Drazdovič. Kosmas, 1940—1943.jpg, Космас (Cosmos), 1940—1943

Sceneries

Я. Драздовіч Далёкая краіна.jpg, Далёкая краіна (A Far-Away Land), 1933 Я. Драздовіч Краявід з цягніком.jpg, Краявід з цягніком (Scenery with a train), 1936 Я. Драздовіч Ляскова.jpg, Ляскова (Laskova), 1936 Я. Драздовіч Гара Гараватка.jpg, Гара Гарватка (Harvatka mountain), 1952

Carpets

Дзве дзяўчыны на мастку.jpg, Дзве дзяўчыны на мастку (Two girls on a bridge), 1930s Дыванок з замкам над возерам (Накцюрн).jpg, Месяцовая ноч (Moonlit night), 1937 Красналюдка-казачнік-бай.jpg, Красналюдка — казачнік-бай (Krasnaludka - storyteller), 1948 Язэп Драздовіч. Як мужык з панам цягаецца.jpg, Як мужык з панам цягаецца (How a man competed with a landlord), 1930s

References

Belarusian painters 1888 births 1954 deaths Soviet painters {{Belarus-painter-stub