Mykola Pymonenko (March 21, 1862 – April 8, 1912) is one of the most prominent Ukrainian realist painters. He studied at the icon-painting workshop at the Kyiv Pechersk Lavra, the Kyiv Drawing School, and the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. Every one of Pymonenko's paintings is like a frozen frame of vibrant Ukrainian life, capturing the beauty, everyday routines, and deep soul of Ukrainian nature and its people. Pymonenko gained recognition both in his homeland and in other European countries. He successfully exhibited his works in Berlin, Paris, London, and Munich, and was a member of the Parisian International Union of Arts and the Munich Artists' Association.
Pymonenko not only painted but also educated a new generation of artists, working as a drawing instructor for nearly thirty years combined — first at Mykola Murashko's Art School and later at the Kyiv Polytechnic Institute. Among his direct students were future stars such as Oleksandr Murashko, Kazymyr Malevych, Oleksandra Ekster, Abram Manevych, and others. His work influenced the formation of the Ukrainian national style in painting and served as a bridge between academic realism and the modern trends of the early 20th century. The painting "Idyll", reproduced in this puzzle, was painted by Mykola Pymonenko in 1908. It is preserved at the National Art Museum of Ukraine.
