Picture of a man with a shovel, phot. sb.by
The oil-painting on plywood hangs in Hrodna New Castle where the Regional Historical and Archaeological Museum has been located since 1994. Director Yury Kiturka is not going to seek the help of art experts. He has no doubt that it was Kazimir Malevich who painted the man with a shovel; the expert appraisal costs money. The museum is not going to sell the painting, the state-run newspaper ‘Belarus Today’ reports.
At the moment there is a question mark next to the surname of Malevich in the inscription under the picture.
The image was once seized by customs officers. According to the director, a collector, who was well aware of the value of the exhibit, was trying to smuggle it to the West. If the authorship of Malevich were confirmed, it would be the only work of the world-renowned artist which is kept in the territory of Belarus. In 1919, Kazimir Malevich worked for some time in Vitsebsk together with Marc Chagall.
