Jan Matejko's painting Vernyhora, begun in the 1870s and completed in 1884, represents a significant artistic engagement with a semi-mythical figure who occupies a unique position in both Ukrainian and Polish cultural memory. Currently housed in the National Museum in Kraków, this work demonstrates how historical and legendary narratives can be visually reinterpreted to address contemporary national concerns.

Vernyhora, a Ukrainian bard and lyricist who may have lived during the late 18th century, inhabits the ambiguous boundary between historical figure and mythological construct. Living during a period of anti-noble uprisings in Ukraine, he allegedly opposed the prevailing movements and became renowned for his prophetic visions concerning the intertwined fates of Poland and Ukraine.

These prophecies, which reportedly foretold the partitions of Poland, the failure of national uprisings, and the eventual revival of Polish statehood, secured Vernyhora's place in the cultural imagination of both nations. His liminal status—between Ukrainian and Polish worlds, between historical fact and legend—made him a particularly potent symbol during the 19th century, when questions of national identity and independence were paramount concerns.

Matejko, Poland's foremost historical painter, captures Vernyhora at the moment of delivering his prophecy. The figure is depicted wearing an eastern cross on his chest, symbolising the ancient unity of Ukraine and Poland—a time of supposed national and social harmony before the violent upheavals of the 18th century. The lyre at his feet further signifies the power of artistic expression to preserve shared cultural heritage despite political and historical divisions.

This painting exemplifies how mythologised historical figures can be mobilised in times of national crisis to articulate aspirations for cultural continuity and political restoration, demonstrating the fluid boundaries between history, myth, and political symbolism.