Art and War

Perspectives from The Artist's Road

Ukrainian Stamps Featuring Maria Primachenko and Her Art

The unbearable sadness of war includes the loss of great works of art, iconic milestones that teach and inspire us—lost through intent or collateral damage.

The Getty Museum President and Chief Executive, James Cuno, wrote: “News reports indicate that among the many atrocities being committed in Ukraine over the past few days of Putin’s War, Russian forces have begun destroying Ukrainian cultural heritage . . . The material cultural legacy of the world is our common heritage, the identity and inspiration for all humanity. Cultural heritage has the power to unite us and is critical for achieving peace. It is also too often the target of war, another way to destroy and overtake a society by erasing its memory.”

One of the first great losses reported is the Ivankiv Historical-Cultural Museum, known for housing priceless Ukrainian folk art. It is feared that at least 25 works by the late Maria Primachenko (1908-1997),…