44×26 см, Bronze
A gift of Bronyslava Skorupska, 2011
The image of the mother blessing her sons as they go to war is one of the most dramatic stories in the work of Kapshuchenko. The composition is arranged diagonally. The viewer’s gaze follows the gesture of the mother’s hands as she embraces her son, who is leaning on her shoulder. Then, the viewer’s focus smoothly shifts to the figure of the second son, who kneels next to his mother’s legs. The mother’s face turned towards the sky is the emotional centre of the composition. The situation’s psychological depth, tension, and dramatic intensity are conveyed unmistakably.
Bronyslava Skorpuska, a Ukrainian public figure from Philadelphia, commissioned this sculpture. Her husband and his entire family were active participants in the UPA. Most of them perished. In memory of them, Mrs Bronislava commissioned this work from Kapshuchenko. Later, she donated this and other sculptures to the NaUOA. In her gift letter, Bronislava Skorupska wrote: “In memory of my son, Peter, all the freedom fighters of Ukraine, and the great master Peter Kapshuchenko, I am gifting these sculptures to Ostroh Academy National University. May they be a valuable resource for your students, fostering a deeper understanding of our history and our ancestors’ struggles for our nation’s freedom.”