Out of Nowhere is an exploration of the remarkable yet virtually unknown body of art that has emerged out of a historic region in the geographical heart of Europe known as Carpathian Rus’, or simply Ruthenia. Carpathian Rus’ straddles the present-day borders of Poland, Slovakia, and Ukraine and this book takes on the form of a chronological survey of secular painting and sculpture produced by over 60 of its artists during the period from 1800 to the present. Each chapter begins with an introductory section that provides the general political and cultural context for the period being discussed. Then follows commentary about individual artists for which there is a biographical sketch accompanied by illustrations of their major works. Appended is a comprehensive bibliography of albums and studies dealing specifically with the artists of Carpathian Rus’. The analytical approach of the narrative focuses on stylistic matters and, in particular, on the cultural context in which a given artist worked. There is also discussion of artists from Carpatho-Rusyn lands who lived and created far from their native homeland, including the former Russian Empire, the Hungarian Kingdom, and several countries in western Europe and North America. Containing 363 full-color illustrations, Out of Nowhere vividly chronicles the forgotten art and artists of Carpathian Rus’.
