Taras Shevchenko was a Ukrainian poet, painter, thinker, engraver, ethnographer, and public figure. He was an active member of the Ukrainian national movement and the Brotherhood of Saints Cyril and Methodius.

He was primarily known as a poet, but he was no less famous as an artist who laid the foundations of realism in national art. Among his works are portraits of leading cultural figures of that time and beyond. A significant portion of his works also consists of compositions on mythological, historical, and everyday themes.

Architectural landscapes and sceneries in his collection are related to his position as an artist in the Kyiv Archaeographic Commission. He often traveled to Poltava region and Volhynia to paint various monuments of antiquity and art.

Most famous works: Kateryna (1842), Peasant Family (1843), and Self-portrait (1840-41).