Funeral of the III class

The genre composition of social content "Funeral of the Third Class" represents the early work of Leopold Levitsky and belongs to the Krakow Cycle (1931-1935). This etching has a historical basis. It is dedicated to the mountain tragedy that occurred in Jaworzno in the early 1930s. The background of the composition shows the silhouette of the mining company. The lack of figurativeness of the image reinforces the drama of the plot: a woman with frightened children stands over a dead man lying on the ground with the face up, and in the background - a group of workers entering the gate of the enterprise. The antagonistic couple of this composition is the etching “Class I Funeral”. This binary opposition presents a venerable funeral with a priest, church ministers, and numerous people accompanying the agreement. The composition "Funeral of the Third Class" was created under the influence of expressionism.

Zhmurko Oksana, Head of Leopold Levitsky Memorial Museum of Art.

From the collection of Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum in Lviv.