Oleksa Novakivskyi (1872–1935) was a major Ukrainian painter and teacher whose career helped shape modern Ukrainian art. Born in Podilia, he first studied in Odesa from 1888 to 1892, then trained at the Kraków Academy of Fine Arts, where he absorbed both academic discipline and newer European artistic currents. His early work grew from naturalism and impressionism, but he later developed a more emotionally charged style associated with symbolism and expressionism. A turning point came after his 1911 solo exhibition in Kraków, which drew the attention of Metropolitan Andrei Sheptytsky. With Sheptytsky’s support, Novakivskyi moved to Lviv in 1913 and became a central figure in the city’s Ukrainian cultural life. In 1923, he founded the Oleksa Novakivskyi Art School, an influential institution that trained many younger artists in Galicia. He also served in leadership within the Secret Ukrainian University. Novakivskyi is remembered for his powerful use of color, spiritual intensity, and ability to unite national feeling with modern painterly expression. By the time of his death in Lviv in 1935, he had secured a lasting place as one of the most important figures in early twentieth-century Ukrainian painting. His legacy endures in Lviv’s museum culture and in the generations of artists he inspired.