Heorhii Narbut
Heorhii Narbut was the primary architect of Ukrainian visual identity during the early twentieth century. While many artists focused on painting, Narbut applied his skills to the state itself. He designed the first Ukrainian banknotes and postage stamps. His work moved beyond the studio and into the hands of citizens, defining how a nation saw itself through heraldry and typography.
Biography
His style is defined by a mastery of the silhouette and a study of seventeenth-century woodcuts. He created the Narbut Typeface, a font that drew from old Cossack manuscripts. In works like the Ukrainian Alphabet or his illustrations for the Song of Roland, he used stark black-and-white contrasts. He avoided the soft edges of impressionism, preferring the clarity of the line and the weight of historical symbols.
Collectors of fine art prints value Narbut for his graphic discipline and his ability to modernise folk traditions. His compositions are balanced and authoritative. They provide a sense of historical continuity. The sharp silhouettes and heraldic motifs make his prints effective for contemporary interiors that require clear imagery. His art shows how traditional forms can be stripped to their essence for a modern audience.
Next stop
Browse the movements →
Every movement in the collection, from the Renaissance to Pop art.
Heorhii Narbut prints
Hand-finished archival prints from Heorhii Narbut's body of work.
Illustration to 'The Song of Roland' - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Sheet 'Z' from the Ukrainian Alphabet - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Grasshopper in front of a House of Cards - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Illustration to 'Three Fables of Krylov' - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Illustration to 'The Nightingale' - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Illustration for Fairy Tales: Teremok and Mizgir - Heorhiy Narbut
From £28.00
Related Artists
Take Heorhii Narbut home.
See all Heorhii Narbut prints →Frequently Asked Questions
When was Heorhii Narbut born?
Heorhii Narbut was born in 1886 and died in 1920.What is Heorhii Narbut known for?
Heorhii Narbut is known for heorhii Narbut was a master of graphic design who defined the visual identity of a nation through heraldry and his own distinctive typeface.