Hand Cross

The handmade cross belongs to the typological subgroup of liturgical crosses intended for worship. The cross from the village of Bezbrody is seven-pointed, with an elongated middle crosspiece, made using the technique of contour, notched and flat-relief carving, which allows the carved elements to rise above the background rather than cut into it. On the front of the hand-carved cross, the folk artist has carved the Crucifixion, which occupies the central cross and most of the stem. The schematic figure of Christ, with its precise contours and lightly worked details, is squat and disproportionate. His head is inclined towards his right shoulder, and two arcs mark his chest. Two figures stand at the ends of the central frame. A smooth line separates the upper and lower crosses from the main composition. The central area of the upper frame is filled with letters, and a pattern of parallel diagonal lines accentuates the top and bottom. The lower frame is made similarly, but the central part is decorated with a geometric pattern. In the main part of the back of the cross is a carved figure of the Virgin Mary wearing a crown and holding the baby Jesus. Her clothing is decorated with flat, undercut straight lines that intersect to form geometric patterns. The back of the upper and lower frames is identical to the front. The central part of the lower frame is filled with a flat carved ornamental motif in the form of squares. A smooth stripe runs along the outline of the hand cross on both the front and back, repeating the frame's shape.

Borys Voznytskyi Lviv National Art Gallery