Special Offer ▷ Black Angel by Ivan Tverdun, 2012 | Oil Painting for Sale

Black Angel presents a striking vision of Lviv as a symbolic city suspended between two realities. On the left, warm daylight floods the historic street; on the right, a velvety night sky filled with stars descends upon the same scene. At the centre of this heightened contrast stands the black angel – once painted white, as noted by the artist, but transformed into a darker guardian whose presence resonates far beyond its figurative outline. The effect is both haunting and poetic, inviting viewers to read the city as a metaphor for the inner world.

Although rendered in expressive, textured brushwork, the architecture remains recognisable enough to root the work in a tangible place, while simultaneously drifting into something more visionary. A bird-shaped cloud glides across the luminous sky, echoing themes of passage, elevation and the subtle crossing from the earthly to the spiritual. The road beneath the figure moves from deep night-blue to bright reflective light, reinforcing the sense of a threshold – both physical and psychological.

The reverse of the canvas contains Tverdun’s characteristic handwritten inscriptions, including the phrase “the white angel who repainted himself,” suggesting intention, transformation and the acceptance of complexity. This captivating artwork belongs to the artist’s mystical period and is a significant example of his ability to merge landscape, symbolism and emotional narrative. Collectors seeking a work that carries both visual intensity and philosophical depth will find Black Angel particularly compelling.