Iosif Zmii-Miklovshik (1792 - 1841)

Iosif Zmii-Miklovshik

Iosif Zmii-Miklovshik was an outstanding Ruthenian artist, iconographer and portraitist who laid the foundations of professional fine arts in Transcarpathia. His repertoire included iconostasis, frescoes, altarpieces, portraits and picturesque scenes from the life of the Transcarpathian people with a strong ethnographic touch.

Zmii-Miklovshik worked in various cities of Hungary, leaving his creative trace in church murals. After his return from Vienna, he created many works on religious and domestic themes, including paintings such as "Zemplin Wedding", "At a Party", "Procession for the Consecration of Water on Epiphany", and others.

Iosif Zmii-Miklovshikalso familiarised the world with the ethnographic side of the Ruthenians by illustrating the book "Etnografia Ruthenium" by Slovak ethnographer Jan Čaplovič. His works for church altars and iconostases, as well as his many other creative achievements, make him a notable artist in the history of Transcarpathia.