Man and Culture - rubric Art and Art History

Abstract: The subject of this research is the peculiarities of manifestation of ontologization of musical thinking of Sofia Gubaidulina, through which mythology, religiosity, and “bivalence” in unity of the alternative worlds allow experiencing the logics of sensemaking of the composer within the paradigm of cosmogenic myths and natural beginning. It justified the authors’ attention to the examination of differentiation of sonoristic fabric of the choral oeuvres of the composer and two methods of vocal intoning – pure and with a savor of inhale – through amounting them to the categories of Cosmos and Chaos, characteristic to the artistic credo of Sofia Gubaidulina. The religious component of musical content of the composer substantiated the perception of dramaturgy of S. Gubaidulina’s works from the perspective of eschatological myths. However, the “bivalence” of S. Gubaidulina’s allows tracing the result of combining the diverse mythological models: “translucency” through the structural basis of the plot that requires determination of the own ontological status and system of myths of the cosmogenic type. Examination of S. Gubaidulina’s within the paradigm of cosmogenic myths enables adjusting the global opposition of the immanent and the transcendent, opposition of Chaos and Cosmos that is the basic ground for the structural logics of cosmogenic myths. Clarification of the ontological status of structural model of mythological thinking of S. Gubaidulina allows correcting the analytical parameters of interpretation of her musical compositions (on the example of the choral cycle “Dedication to Marina Tsvetaeva”) from the standpoint of the ancient cosmogenic models, manifesting in their sounding matter and structural methods of its organization the system of oppositions, within the foundation of which underlies the mytheme of natural-artificial (or natural-cultural).

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.2.37817

Abstract: The subject of the research is the methods and techniques of addressing the future in dystopian and utopian films. The object of research is visual effects and ways of displaying the future, which allow us to convey to the viewer the meaning of the narrative. In the process of research, special attention is paid to the possibilities of science fiction films that create another world with the help of special effects, emphasizing many themes and hidden ideas, while depicting a fairy tale. Special emphasis is placed on the fact that modern technologies, the possibilities of creating visual effects have changed the film industry, as a result of which it has strengthened the genre convergence of utopian and dystopian film products, as a result of which it has become possible to create plausible worlds so that science fiction films are perceived in a more immersive way. The main conclusions of the study are the conclusion that the modern tradition of visualizing science fiction films embraces and interweaves dystopias and utopias within the framework of one work, as a result of which the narratives are doubly fictional: they create a utopian or dystopian place as a backdrop for history, and at the same time the place itself becomes history. The author's special contribution lies in the fact that in the process of research, visual techniques of representing the future in cinematic fiction are highlighted, which invariably contain cultural meanings. The scientific novelty of the research is to identify and analyze the most typical techniques of reproducing the future in science fiction films using visual effects, which include brutalist architecture, creating an image of the future city.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.2.37876

Abstract: This article discusses the methods of preserving jianzhi art from Jinzhou. Among the ways to ensure this activity, traditional inheritance, museum business, school education, the use of modern technologies, the program of "productive conservation", as well as the organization of education were highlighted. The expansion of preservation work will not only popularize the art of jianzhi, attract more people to its study and preservation, but most importantly, preserve those intangible cultural values of the people that reflect not only its traditions, customs, culture, way of life, but also its uniqueness and identity. The author concludes that it is possible to preserve traditional art through the use of the methods described by him. He points out the need to develop the jianzhi craft, as it embodies the unique characteristics of the Jinzhou people, their culture, traditions and identity. At the same time, to include paper cutting art in Jinzhou in people's lives, it is necessary to count not only on the help and support of the government, but also on the love and recognition of the people. With the help of public forces and the media so that jianzhi art and the traditional culture it carries can continue to exist and develop.

DOI: 10.7256/2409-8744.2016.5.20389

Abstract: This article is first to examine the chamber-instrumental compositions of the Siberian composer E. N. Kravtsov. The author suggests a thought that the suites created during the period of 1964-2000 for piano and violin and piano, comprise a specific page of the composer’s works, demonstrating the version of composition of the baroque suite. The main compositional features of the baroque suite and the level of their realization in Kravtsov’s works are being analyzed. The historical angle allows determining the main invariant of the baroque suite and its importance for all of the further historical epochs. The most essential features of the baroque suite are examines in the context of comparative analysis of the compositional models of the suites of E. Kravtsov and other composers, including the Western European. The conclusion is made that the invariant of the baroque suite was viewed by the composer as a model and symbol of the Baroque Period, as well as embodied the ideal of the harmonic and classically balanced musical composition. The presented in the article statements are confirmed and clarified in the detailed analytical schemes. The article expands the ideas about the specificities of the chamber-instrumental suite in the works of the contemporary Russian composers.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2018.1.25685

Abstract: The subject of this article is the picturesque portrait of Natalia Frantsevna Auber by Konstantin Andreevich Somov that refers to the early period of his works – mid of 1890’s. The portrait is viewed in the context of the scenic pursuits of the painter of the prior to “World of Art” stage. The scenic manner alongside the portrait concept are also analyzed with consideration of the impact upon the works of K. A. Somov of the relevant trends of Russian and European portrait paining of the turn of the XIX-XX centuries: traditions of the Russian realistic portrait, European and Scandinavian lines of impressionism and salon. The author applies the method of comparative art analysis, viewing the portrait of N. F. Auber made by K. A. Somov in contrast with other works of the painter and his contemporaries. A particularly valuable contribution into the research of Somov’s portrait concept is defined by the analysis of the new trends emerging in the portrait of N. F. Auber: compositional structure, decorativeness of painting, specificity of spatial structure, and color specificities. All of the listed features are emphasized by the author of the article as the key for establishment of iconography of Somov’s portrait of the “mature” period.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2024.2.70147

Abstract: The veneration of St. Nicholas was extremely spread in the Medieval Rus’ culture. This fact found it’s expression in great variety of this saint representation as in the shades of meaning that are conveyed by the stylistic features of specific works. The St. Nicholas icons with the chosen saints on the margins are the subject of scientific research. Especially we will focus on such works of art, which composition includes the female saints’ representations. Despite a certain interest in the problem of interpreting the order of saints in the composition of the icons under consideration, researchers have not actively addressed this aspect of the topic, so the comprehensive iconographical interpretation was not provided. The aim of this study is to identify the iconographical characteristic and style features of the oldest Novgorodian icons of St. Nicholas with the female saints and other chosen saints on the margins. As a result of a comprehensive analysis, first of all, it should be mentioned that female saints played a great role in Medieval Novgorod culture. Secondly, taking into accounts some aspects of their cults and their representations on liturgical items, the female saints’ figures were an ecclesiastical symbol. Thirdly, female saints were protectors of the novgorodians and the Orthodox Christian in pre-Mongol era as in 15th–16th century.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2017.5.23778

Abstract: The subject of this study is the Soviet art in the context of evolution of the postwar artistic culture (1945-1960). Attention is also focused on the growth of artistic corps, influx of young forces, national and creative diversity of artworks as an achievement at the examined timeframe. The aim goal of the article consists in the need for expanding the existing knowledge on visual arts of the first fifteen postwar years, which is closely associated with the preceding stage – period of the Great Patriotic War. Emphasis is made on how the artists sought to capture the crucial events of the historic battle for freedom, reveal the underlying causes that ensured victory of the USSR, as well as high moral qualities of the Soviet people. The study highlights that the painters who survived the years of grievous suffering during the Great Patriotic War, revealed the new, previously unknown depths of the national character. Artists noticed a hero in the most ordinary Soviet man. From the perspective of the theory of art, the author characterized the relationship between the concepts of "Soviet art", "officially approved art", and "realistic method". The research methodology implies the method of analytical study of sources that clarifies the logic and content of the Soviet painting of the indicated period. The methodological base for the study includes the thematically necessary compilations on the theory and history of art, history of the Soviet culture, and philosophy of art. The author also used a number of electronic publications. The basis of the article lies in the comparative-historical method that helps to determine the specificity of Soviet visual arts of the postwar period (1945-1960), which allows citing that the Soviet scholars trace the transformations in the artistic-imagery structure of Soviet starting back in the prewar period. The scientific novelty consists in revising the evolution of Soviet postwar visual arts from the perspective of direct impression of the artists who have participated in the war, as well as in description of the significance of the work of Russian painters in development and preservation of the Russian art of the XX century. In conclusion, the author underline the fact that the visual arts during the period of 1945-1960 affected the popularization of the themes of Russian painting of the postwar years, which was dedicated to the events of the Great Patriotic War. On the materials of the battlefield memories, Soviet artists have created a vast amount of paintings. In addition, the unofficial art that was represented at the exhibitions and generated government’s criticism entered the cultural arena.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2020.2.32471

Abstract: The subject of this research is the fundamental positions and concepts of installation discourse, i.e. key texts that are dedicated to installation and formed representation on this artistic practice. Installation discourse has emerged in the West in the early 1960’s, and presently there can be determined the “anchor points, “objective concepts”, main positions and vectors of installation analysis. Elements of the discourse include academic monographs, such as art criticism, texts of artists, and exhibition catalogues. The article employs the methods of discourse analysis of E. Laclau, C. Mouffe, N. Fairclough, as well as general discourse theory of M. Foucault described in the “Archeology of Knowledge”. The conducted discourse analysis allows making the following conclusions. The three main vectors of installation discourse can be associated with three “turns” of philosophy and humanistic thought of the XX century – phenomenological, linguistic and performative. Discourse analysis allows tracing the meanings imposed on the “anchor points” in various vectors of the discourse. Discourse analysis gives a perspective on the “objective concepts” of discourse that underlie the understanding of installation at the present stage – “theatricality”, “indermediality”, “unlocked”, anti-object character of installation, site-specificity; institutional criticism, multisensority and ephemerality.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2019.3.26500

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the analysis of a small album “Photography is Not an Art” created in 1937 by the French painter and photographer of American descent Man Ray in collaboration with the leader of surrealism André Breton. The selection of images and their inscriptions along with the poetic preamble of Breton represent a distinct artistic concept, which yet remains insufficiently studied and open for multiple interpretations. The study explores a number of questions related to the discourse on the art of photography, which gained relevance due to the growing interest of avant-garde artists, as well as the attitude to this topic of one of the prominent representatives of modernism. Attention is focused on the unique visual row in the context of creative ideas of the 1930’s: Dadaism, surrealism, and “new thingness”. The scientific novelty consists in presentation of the author’s original conclusions on correlation between the personal aesthetic program of an artist and cultural practices of the era. Rhetoric and semantics of photography as a “specific art” is associated with its unique descriptive ability to be not just straightforward and truthful, but also ambiguous and illusory. The album images actually demonstrate the possibility to make visible something that does not belong to the row of visible, and thus notional. The author concludes that a “banal”, often not deserving particular attention of the researchers Man Ray series of photographs is not secondary, and the project itself, brought to life by a modernist artist possessing a high level of competence in the area of cultural marketing, demonstrates a new specificity of “creative production, its relevance to aesthetic, ideological, or commercial visual model.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2024.2.70131

Abstract: The purpose of this work is to identify the essence of cinema in the process of its formation in the pre–revolutionary period of time in comparison with its predecessor - photography. The author examines in detail the main properties of photography and the main properties of cinema, which do not coincide with each other, as well as their functioning in pre-revolutionary Russian society. The use of photography in mass illustrated magazines of that time is analyzed. Attention is paid to the formation of the properties of cinema at an early stage, when the audience of the first illusions was still mastering the perception of a new spectacle, which at the same time led to mastering the ability to read the language of screen reality. It is emphasized that mass cinema, in fact, used and developed the techniques of mass illustrated magazines. The special properties of cinematography related to the qualities of photogeny are also considered. The available documents on the functioning of the first cinemas are being studied. The issue of the emergence of the alienation effect in application to pre-revolutionary cinema, which leads to the mythologization of screen images, is discussed. The questions posed are studied on the basis of the art historical research method using the historical analysis of the available facts. What is new in this work is that the studied properties of photography and cinematography at an early stage allow us to develop the results obtained on the process of using archival photo and film documents in the modern cinematographic process. On the basis of the conducted research, it was found that cinematography, in comparison with photography, has the property of serving to identify the lost historical reality with giving the on-screen reality the qualities of myth, since there are no reliable verification techniques for visual paintings on the cinema screen. Photography reproduces mirrored pictures of existence with a demonstration of the smallest details and details, but cinema overshadows it due to its inherent photogeny, which does not have adequate verbal descriptions. Cinematic photogeny helps to reproduce the breath of life itself on the screen. In the course of the work, the empirical properties of photography and cinematography were studied with the disclosure of certain important historical circumstances that help to better understand their functioning in society.The results obtained contribute to a better understanding and decoding of pre-revolutionary film documents.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2023.1.39852

Abstract: Monumental and religious sculpture was the main form of ancient Chinese sculpture. There were very few public monumental sculptures. This phenomenon was associated with traditional Chinese culture and the socio-economic situation. It was only after 1949 that many monumental sculptures on the theme of the revolution appeared in China, which had an important connection with the politics of that time. This article is written in the following three parts: an overview of the development of monumental sculpture in ancient China; The history of the development of monumental sculpture from 1840 to 1949; An overview of the development of monumental sculpture after the founding of the People's Republic of China. Chinese sculptural art has a long history. As for monumental sculptures, with the development of society, the Policy in the field of culture and art supported diversification, artists received more free creative space. The range of creative topics gradually expanded, and there were more opportunities to choose style and language. It was only in the 1990s that the Chinese economy began to transform into a market economy. Under the influence of the latter monumental sculpture came under the influence of foreign cultures. We believe that China can rely on its own history, culture and national spirit, and combining China's historical resources with foreign cultures is the way to develop Chinese monumental sculpture.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2023.3.40837

Abstract: Matisse, an iconic artist of the Zverev school, was a pioneering European modernist artist. He showed great interest in Oriental painting and drew inspiration from it, introducing flatness, ornamentation and bright forms of color into his paintings, which were valued in Oriental painting. His unique approach to space in composition is similar to the "white space" method in Chinese painting, which cancels the traditional European rules of perspective, and his minimalist approach to painting and images led to the formation of a pronounced Oriental style of painting. His "accuracy is not reality" is similar to the Chinese concept of "likeness and impropriety", and his understanding of the relationship between the outside world and himself is similar to the Chinese concept. At the same time, Matisse's concept of subjective expression, which focuses on the expression of subjective feelings rather than the reproduction of objective nature, is also very similar to the desire to express subjective ideas inherent in traditional Chinese ink painting. Matisse's approach to oriental art was not a copy or a simple addition to his own painting. He absorbed Oriental art creatively, extracted elements that were close to his heart, internalized them and made his works similar in internal structure or common views with Oriental painting in terms of spirit, concept and art form.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.3.38269

Abstract: The object of research in this article is the terminological apparatus that is being formed in the foreign and russian historiographical tradition, describing concepts related to the principle of typological parallelism of Covenants in Christian iconography. This principle is based on the doctrine of "Reconciliation of Testaments" (considering Old Testament events as prototypes of New Testament history) and underlies the organization of plots already in a number of monuments of early Christian art. In the era of the High Middle Ages, this principle became one of the fundamental in the iconography of monuments of painting, sculpture and decorative and applied art. The subject of the study was the process of adding up the generally accepted terminology in studies devoted to the iconographic technique in question. The article also raises the problem of correlation between terms used in foreign and domestic historiography. Based on the analysis of the addition of the terminological apparatus in research on Christian iconography, the article concludes that there is no unified system of terms in modern science, especially in the domestic one, to describe the extremely important and widespread phenomenon of Christian iconography – the reflection in the pictorial cycles of the principle of "Reconciliation of Covenants". Tracing the etymology of the concepts used, the author of the article clearly demonstrates the existing contradictions in the terms "type", "antithype" and "antithype", and also analyzes the difficulties that arise when translating these concepts into Russian. Based on this research, it becomes possible to offer the most correct and unambiguously interpreted terms. The relevance of the study is explained by the absence in the Russian research literature of a system of terms for the iconographic principle under consideration, as well as individual Old Testament subjects-prototypes and their New Testament analogies.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2019.3.26567

Abstract: The subject of this research is a group of artworks of the Venetian Renaissance, united by depiction of the same creative theme – the image of Saint Jerome, Christian writer and priest, among the rural nature. Its composition in the local school is associated with the spread within Venetian society of the humanistic ideal of contemplative recreation, embodies in the image of the Saint, at times, identified with the persona of Renaissance humanist. Special attention is given to the works of the leading artists of the local school of painters – Giovanni Bellini, Lorenzo Lotto, Titian, which reflect the evolution of such image, since the influence of the principles of humanism, and later affected by ideological orientations of Counterreformation. The research method consists in examination of the various iconographic types of image of the Saint, giving special attention to the analysis of artistic construct of the demonstrated scene and principles of compositional organization surrounding the landscape, as well as the combination of landscape and human figure in format of a painting. The scientific novelty is defined by the fact that the author is first to trace the historical evolution of depiction of Saint Jerome in the Venetian art, as well as demonstration of appearance of the new iconographic scheme, which represented the Christian theologian contemplating among the nature, similar to a classical philosopher. Its realization was limited by the first two decades of the XVI century, after which the painters came back to depiction of Saint Jerome corresponding with the requirements of the religious dogmatics.

DOI: 10.7256/2409-8744.2016.2.19406

Abstract: In article “Court Painting in Qing Epoch: Documentary Artworks” by Zhang Zongguang the study object is palace painting of the period specified. The subject matter is Qing epoch paintings created by palace artists and reflecting real persons and events true-to-fact. The author reviews in details works dedicated to real war actions, emperors’ inspection campaigns, sacrifice, ceremonies, feasts, offering gifts, hunting. Furthermore, the difference of concept “realism” in European and Chinese art history is outlined. The author pays special attention to demonstrate artistic features of these works and shows, how Sino-European style is manifested in some of them.Methodology base of the article is philosophical and general scientific as well as specific scientific methods and principles, such as comparative principle, historical method, system-oriented analysis, analysis and synthesis, induction and deduction; methods of art history study of large quantity of pictorial material, comparative stylistic method; cultural methods of study of socio-cultural realities, including comparative, sociological, axiological, semeiotic ones. The novel nature of the conducted investigation, particularly, on the basis of some material firstly introduced in Russian art history, is given by detailed art history description and attribution of “documentary artworks”, by evidenced confirmation of high artistic and historical value of the works, by verification of synergic nature of interference of Western and Chinese techniques during Qing epoch.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.5.38275

Abstract: The object of the study is the symbolic and allegorical meanings of artistic images of fine art, built in the unity of the diverse, based on the principle of the relationship between the real and the conditional. The subject of the study is a comparison of the methods of metaphysical and constructive realism in creating aesthetically expressive forms of artistic images expressing symbolic meanings. The article systematizes the methods of creating artistic images in constructive realism: typification, stylization, artistic and theoretical generalizations, analysis, synthesis, application of constructive ideas of combining parts of the whole, geometric generalization of form in the construction of the spatial structure of the object, artistic interpretations. The main method of image research is the analysis of visual contexts of the application of the concept of methods and other means of constructing artistic images. The novelty of the article lies in constructive realism in creating deeper symbolic meanings than the generally accepted forms of realism convey. With constructive realism, aesthetically expressive images are created in the unity of the heterogeneous and do not distort the conventional meanings. In the differentiation of means and integration of image layers, the image represents a single symbolic meaning. As a result of the analysis of constructive realism, four regular processes of building the unity of the diverse in the form and content of artistic images have been revealed. The conclusion is that constructive realism to the construction of artistic images has practical significance. The images are characterized by aesthetic expressiveness, this attracts the attention of the audience. In expression through the form of symbolic meanings, images acquire the potential of visual communication with people.

DOI: 10.7256/2409-8744.2017.1.22039

Abstract: The object of this research is the Soviet song of the 1920’s – 1930’s as a genre stylistic phenomenon. The subject of this research is examination of the issues of history of development, content structure, and peculiarities of the song repertoire during these years. The shift in sociopolitical formation in Russia caused by the revolutionary events of October 1917 that drastically changed the national cultural identity, including the song art. The article makes an attempt to trace the performing traditions of that period (folk song, urban folklore, mass song). Using the method of analysis, the author underlines the presence of crisis in a number of the traditional song genres and development of the new forms of song repertoire on the background. The article points at certain peculiarities common during this timeframe to the Russian vocal art. Accent is made on the development of lyrical intonation in a song, which encouraged the popularization of musical compositions. The author highlights the role of jazz music culture as an accelerator in development of the new features in stage music art.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2021.5.36541

Abstract: Lotus pattern is one of the traditional Chinese ornaments that dates back to the ancient times. During the rule of Wei and Jin dynasties, as well as Northern and Southern dynasties (222 – 589 AD), Buddhism has largely prevailed across the territory of the Great Plain of China. The forms, methods of expression, and meanings of the Chinese traditional ornaments that used the lotus pattern have changed under the influence of Buddhism. This article analyzes the peculiarities of synthesis of the Buddhist lotus ornament with the Chinese traditional culture, as well as the degree of impact of Buddhism upon the form, means of expression, and symbolic meaning of lotus patterns in the Chinese society. Having studied the scientific literature and research on the topic, the author analyzes he peculiarities of evolution of lotus pattern in China after the spread of Buddhism. The key stages of the development of lotus ornament in Buddhist decoration are examined. The conclusion is made that Buddhism played a crucial role in transformation of characteristics and means of expression of the lotus ornament, as well as extensively complemented and changed the symbolic meaning of lotus in Chinese culture and people’s perception. Buddhism not only enriched the exterior and shape of the Chinese louts ornament, but made a significant contribution to its inscape.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2019.2.29300

Abstract: The object of this research is the British country estate of the Queen Victoria. The subject of this research is the typological elements common to the country mansions of Victorian era, such as the tower, so-called Great hall and chapel. It is worth noting that these elements are not just typical for the Victorian country mansions, but carry a paramount semantic charge. The ideas of social ministry and moral responsibility to the public, so important for the Victorian era mentality, find visual reflection in these forms. Methodology includes such traditional research methods of art history as the formal-stylistic and historical-culturological analysis. The scientific novelty of this work is defined by the fact that the Victorian country estate is viewed not only as a certain phenomenon in the history of architecture, but primarily, as the phenomenon that allows shedding light upon the peculiarities of Victorian mentality. The conducted research demonstrates how such mentality finds its manifestation in the architecture of British country mansion of this era.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2020.5.32286

Abstract: The subject of this research is the works of the unique Khanty artist Mitrofan Alekseevich Tebetev (1924-2011), viewed from the perspective of its sociocultural origins. The artistic path of the artist took place at the intersection of two intertwined cultures: patriarchal culture of the Ob Ugrians and the culture of Soviet official circles. M. A. Tebetev quite organically infused both cultures. It may seem that his visual art is characterized by propensity for the naive style. However, such assessment in many ways devaluates analysis of the content of artist's paintings. Therefore, certain alienation from the excessive narrow-focus art discourse can propel the analysis of his works to a different, general cultural level. The crucial role in this research is played by the works of such theoreticians as P. Tillich, Dvořák, A. Hauser, and V. N. Prokofiev, which outlined the theoretical and methodological framework for this article. The sources for this research became the works of M. A. Tebetev, exhibition catalogues, and reproductions of his paintings, as well as writings dedicated to his works. The main conclusion consists in the thesis that the works Of M. A. Tebetev feature the attributes of visual historical-ethnographic sources. The evolution of Russian painting from photographic accuracy towards latent iconographic simplicity and open archetypical paganism reflects profound changes in the worldview of the late XX – early XXI centuries.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2023.4.40752

Abstract: The article is dedicated to research of sources and documents linked with recollection of Parisian painters of 1650–1800 by contemporaries and scholars. Since the origin of the Royal Academy of Painting and Sculpture appeared regularly a sum of biographical essays devoted to French academic masters. The texts were created by historiographer of Academy until the middle of the 18th century. Later it were connoisseurs of fine art who continued to produce these writings. The authors were recruited from members of Academy as well as friends and relatives of an artist. After research of such sources and documents, the author strives to define a role of memory and posthumous glory for the most eminent artists and representatives of artistic milieu. The author takes in consideration an image of a Parisian painter displayed before his descendants. The article also treats an idea of personal glory connected with artists’ aim to make the Academy and its pictorial school flourish and rule throughout Europe. The research novelty is based on the lack of fundamental publications on the topic in Russian and Western historiography. The relevance of this study is caused by recent trends of social art history interested in everyday life and worldview of a real artist in the real world. Author’s careful work with authentic documents helped to trace a certain scheme used in such biographical writings. They contain biographical data, a tribute to personal qualities of the late artist and, finally, a scrupulous description of his works. The texts written by artist’s friends and relatives are usually more sentimental and have a touch of biographical novel. Virtually, both of these genres were intended not only to keep memory of artist’s creative heritage but also to represent his individuality. In doing so the biographers of any artist not only aimed to compose several individual vitae but also to create a panoramic view of French school of painting as the leader of artistic progress of the time.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2019.5.31031

Abstract: This article is dedicated to the history of creation of the ballet “The Magic Toyshop” (Boutique Fantasque), premiered in London in 1919. The representatives of various types of arts – Léonide Massine, Ottorino Respighi, André Derain worked on this spectacle. Such remarkable team was arranged upon the initiative and organizational talent of the prominent Russian impresario Sergei Diaghilev. The idea to revive the Joseph Bayer’s ballet the “Fairy Doll”, but in a different chorographical and musical interpretation. The musical content for the ballet is based on the piano pieces by G. Rossini from the compilation “Sins of Old Age” (Péchés de Vieillesse), orchestrated by O. Respighi. The topic under consideration provides an opportunity for target study of such artistic phenomenon as the “restoration” spectacle (O. Brezgin), which is relevant due to interdisciplinary scientific research. Methodological foundation contains the works of the national and foreign scholars and ballet theatre experts, which directly or indirectly pertain to the topic of this research.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2021.5.36550

Abstract: The relevance of this research stems from the desire of modern science to discover rare artifacts and unique cultural phenomena of different peoples. The artistic peculiarities of painted pottery of Majiayao period represent are a cultural phenomenon that draws attention of the scholars. The article aims to provide general characteristics to Majiayao period; recount about the emergence of Majiayao culture; describe the shape and decorative peculiarities of painted pottery of Majiayao culture.It is noted that Majiayao culture was also referred to as “Yangshao Culture of Gansu” and developed virtually in parallel with the Yangshao culture. However, there is proof that Majiayao culture emerged slightly later than the Yangshao culture. The article reveals the characteristic colors, shapes, and patterns of the ceramic of this period.Practical significance of this research lies in familiarizing the audience with the peculiarities of Majiayao culture, detailed description of the specifics of its painted pottery, and contributing to further research on the topic. The acquired materials are valuable for studying the theory and history of arts, as well as in the lectures on the visual art of China. The scientific novelty consists in comprehensive examination of the peculiarities of decorative and applied arts. Characteristic is given to the pottery works of Majiayao period, their varieties, evolution, functional features, which testifies to the traditional customs and acquaints with the exotic culture.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.5.38677

Abstract: The article reveals the role of Taoism in the development of images of gardens and parks in Chinese art. Taoism is considered as a spiritual component of the traditional culture of China, affecting all spheres of human essence, including its expression in the visual arts. The problem of this study is to show how the Taoist ideas about man and the world around him were expressed in the works of landscape painting of the V–XIV centuries, when both the formation and development of the art of depicting nature and the formation of the fundamental principles of landscape planning took place. Both phenomena of Chinese culture were obviously influenced by Taoism, so the focus is on picturesque images of gardens and parks and the means of their artistic embodiment, which were formed as a result of the influence of philosophical and religious ideas. The purpose of the publication is the stylistic and semantic analysis of Chinese medieval landscapes depicting garden and park ensembles and elements formed under the influence of Taoist aesthetics. Such a perspective should enrich Russian science with new information about the formation and enrichment of the figurative series in the landscapes of Chinese masters over a long period of time, as well as evaluate the originality of their visual interpretation of philosophical and aesthetic ideas. This will allow us to see how the images of gardens and parks conveyed through the symbolism of images the inner world of a person and the authors themselves, how the ideas of the Taoists associated with these images manifested themselves not only in the subject of paintings, but also in an artistic form.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2023.3.40714

Abstract: The article is dedicated to the problem of church patronage of fine arts in the 18th-century Paris. The predominance of secular art at the time did not lead to withdrawal between the Church and the artists who kept interacting with each other in the area of patronage, mainly of fine arts. In tracing documents and sources for this research the author deals with many academic aims, as follows: to classify church orders for the painters, to define its peculiarities, to value the meaning of church patronage for a painter at that time, to find a point of intersection of secular and religious artistic orders in the circumstances of a perpetual stream of luxurious secular orders. Meanwhile the author aims to distinguish different kinds of church assignments, such as small works for poor congregations, great altarpieces for Parisian cathedrals, paintings for monasteries usually based on sophisticated inventions (programs) understandable only by the ‘devoted’, and portraits of church leaders. Academic novelty of the article is determined by the exiguity of publications on the topic written by recent Russian researchers. In the meantime, French art historians are continually working with these problems and offer some of its solutions well-known to article’s author. The total investigation progress in this area is exemplified in the text by typical but semantically complicated works of art. The author of the article is led to a conclusion that church patronage took a considerable part of a Parisian artist’s carrier though church orders were not the main mover of artistic life of the time. Nevertheless religious painting was still an integral part of French fine art. During the 18th century the Church had been remaining to be a perpetual customer and a partner of painters settled in Paris who could fulfil a request for all kinds of high quality artistic production.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2020.1.30688

Abstract: The subject of this article is the portraits of the members of Vorontsov family – a Russian family of diplomats inseparably connected with Great Britain and Russia. These works were painted by the British artist Sir Thomas Lawrence (1769-1830) in the early XIX century, featuring the portraits of S. R. Vorontsov (in 1805-1806), Y. S. Pembroke (in 1808), M. S. Vorontsov and graphic painting of E. K. Vorontsova (in 1821). The method of research consists in a detailed comprehensive examination of the depiction of the members of Vorontsov family. Main emphasis is made on the comparative analysis of reminiscences of the contemporaries on the model and artistic style of T. Lawrence’s works. The scientific novelty consists in viewing these portraits from one of the perspective of Russian-British artistic ties of the early XIX century – the connection between Lawrence and Russia, and broadening of catalogue descriptions with new records. The comparison of graphic and painting works of T. Lawrence with written reminiscences on the presented models proves that portraits of his authorship minutely reflect the inner world of the models and the impression they created on their contemporaries.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2020.1.32243

Abstract: The subject of this research is the electronic musical instrument trautonium and characteristic features of compositions written for this instrument. The advancement of electronic music and its instruments is substantiated by innovative transformation, constant emergence of new devices, their improvement and phasing out or transitions into a new generation of devices. One of such electronic musical instruments is trautonium, invented in the first half of the XX century. It did not gain much popularity, but gather its own repertoire and library of video and audio recordings. In the course of this research, the author applied the following methods: historical and systemic approaches; methods of integral, structural, stylistic, and comparative analysis. The novelty is defined consists in the subject of research, range of compositions attracted for musicological analysis, and the angle of their view. The author determines the common to compositions for trautonium concert character of performance reflected in the set of aesthetic and technological principles on various levels of musical composition.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2020.4.33379

Abstract: The subject of this research is the evolution of the art of piano duets since the middle of the XX century to the present day. Leaning on the retrospective analysis of ensemble uniqueness, an attempt is made to determine the key trends in artistic activity of piano duets of that time. The goal of this work consists in the analysis of the types of professional duet ensembles and their peculiarities, substantiated by the mobile form of concerts; study of the relevant questions of renewal of the repertoire; classification of piano duets by “performing specialization”: educational and theatricalized or "eccentric"’ as well as outlining the development prospects of duet performing arts. Research methodology is based on the comparative, logical, and retrospective methods. The retrospective method allowed defining the criteria for ensemble specialization of piano duets in accordance with the duet or duo principle, as well as the variety of educational duets based on the repertoire preferences. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that retrospective analysis applicable to modern duet performance, on the one hand revealed a tendency towards preserving and augmenting best traditions in performing culture of the piano due, while on the other – towards seeking of new, creative in their idea forms of ensemble art. For the first time the source of the new repertoire, which includes original compositions for four-handed ensemble, is presented by annotated catalogue of the American scholar K. McGraw (revised 2016 edition). The conclusion is made that tremendous potential of the genre (the ability to multi-level dialogue, theatrical expressiveness of visual image of the ensemble, and its special telegenic skills) contributes to the successful development of piano duet in music industry. Expanding the boundaries of the traditional concert space, members of the ensemble appose to the aesthetics of show or performance, which testifies to the experimental nature of piano duets in the first decades of the XXI century. As the development prospects, the author outlines the pursuit of new ways for popularization of the genre, research work on broadening the existing duet repertoire, and as well as potential creation of the Internet platform for centralizing the global repertoire of piano ensembles.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2021.4.36483

Abstract: This article examines the exhibition of chandeliers in the open air. The subject of this research is the projects that display the actual texture and functionality of the historical models of chandeliers, as well as their modern interpretations within the independent art projects that use structural and stylistic elements of chandeliers as part of the topic or material for the viewers’ reflection. For more in-depth analysis of the chandelier as the object of exposition in the open air, the author explored the websites and exhibition catalogues, methodological textbooks, articles and books that demonstrate methods of presenting the objects of decorative and applied art. Similar projects were found. Based on the extensive sampling, the author conducted typological analysis of such projects was carried out, considering the environmental effects and concepts, namely ecological, which underlie the particular solutions. The conclusion is made that open space of the city and garden allow displaying classical chandeliers and various interpretations of ceiling lighting to wide audience, emphasize the texture of the material, and demonstrate the aesthetics of lighting devices not as a historically reserved or subordinate to some household concept, but as aesthetics that expands the customary concepts associated with space.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2023.6.69108

Abstract: The article is devoted to the consideration of female interior portraits created by E. Vigée Le Brun in Russia. The purpose of the study is to reveal the role of the accessory in the portrait concept of the French artist, which is characterized by close attention to the subject matter of painting. The relevance of the work is conditioned by the fact that a careful study of this group of works, which represent the model in a waist type, contributes both to the comparison with portraits that show the figure in a knee-high or full-length image and emphasize three-dimensional aspects in its interpretation, and to the identification of the specifics of E. Vigée Le Brun’s creative approach in creating different variants of interior portraiture. The research methodology is based on a combination of formal, comparative-historical and contextual analysis to determine the characteristic features of interior portraiture in the master's work. This research allows author to come to the conclusion that the accessory in the portrait concept of the French artist not only shows the interests of the model and her family virtues, but also enhances the expressiveness of the work and the individuality of the person portrayed. At the same time, it should be noted that the treatment of accessories demonstrates signs of some action rather than active involvement in it, and thus has a conventional character, typologically corresponding to the widespread variant of the semi-ceremonial male portrait as a statesman. In addition, E. Vigée Le Brun's approach to this type of interior portrait has a number of characteristic features, which include convincing and compact posture, bright color, intense lighting, considerable attention to the painting of the costume and the special role of accessories for individualizing the model's look.

DOI: 10.25136/2409-8744.2022.6.37364

Abstract: The author of the work raises the question of whether the term "interactivity" is applicable exclusively to works with the presence of a mechanism for selecting storylines, or it is permissible to assert that any work open to a variety of interpretations and containing some interactive potential can also be recognized as interactive. The author argues that the prerequisites for the appearance of such works should be sought in the works of avant-gardists of the 1960s, such as Paul Sharitz, and the cinema of postmodernism. The object of the study is the film "The Inner Empire" by David Lynch, which the author defines as a work with interactive potential. The subject of the study is hyper-narrative constructions and methods of their construction. The purpose of the work is to answer the question of how screen works become interactive, despite the lack of mechanisms for choosing storylines in them, how the Internet is connected with this, and why all this actualizes the method of exclusion described by Viktor Shklovsky back in 1916. The novelty of the research lies in the author's proposal of the concept that a screen work without mechanisms of direct choice of plot moves can be attributed to the interactive group due to the presence of a certain "interactive potential" in it. As an answer to the question under what conditions such an interactive potential can be detected in a work, the author puts forward the hypothesis that its appearance is preceded by hyper-narrative constructions and the use of the technique of exclusion in the text.