Original - Oil on Canvas with Guilded 24k Gold Leaf
24"x48" (61cm x 122cm)
Limited Edition Prints Available (100 copies only)
Custom Sizes also available - please call 416-434-9442
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Olya Burchtynova, produced August 2020 painted fully from life, is a portrait of a Ukrainian woman from a town called Burchtyn. She wears traditional clothing of the region. Each embroidery on the garment represents a piece of history. Originally designed in the 1500th Century after the town was sacked by the Mongolian empire and the men massacred. The women were forced to survive many hardships. To commemorate their struggles and loss of loved ones they embroidered black patterns onto their clothing. The woman depicted in this painting comes from wealth as evidenced by the necklaces she wears. The top necklace has golden coins of the period inlayed; the second a gold Orthodox Cross with turquoise beads, and the third is made from red corals. All golden jewlery is with Guilded 24k Gold Leaf. Her head piece is decorated with flowers and held in place by golden fabric. The fruit of the harvest on her lap shows she has survived.