The History of Russian Fine Arts

(Part 1)

There are two periods in the history of Russian fine arts. Peter the Great reforms marked the border between them. The difference is rather deep and concerns the very essence of artistic perception of the world and a human being.

In Old Russia painting appeared and developed in a close connection with icon worshiping, the basis of which is the doctrine of Incarnation.

Alongside with Christianity the Russian masters adopted the Byzantium artistic style and technique developed through centuries.

The flourishing of Russian medieval painting refers to the 14th-15th centuries and it is reflected in the works of Pheophan Grek and Andrey Rublev. The top of Russian icon painting is Trinity (1422-1427) by A.Rublev, which he created as a symbol of spiritual consent and unity of Russian people.

Since the middle of the 16th century icon painting undergoes the influence of Western fine arts. Developed icon painting of the court school used Western European plot schemes. The end of the 16th century and the beginning of the 17th century is marked by the development of 'Stroganoff school' that is distinguished by the refinement of color and careful working at details and by the tendency to some decoration and 'prettiness' of painting.

The end of the 19th century is marked by awakening interest in an icon as 'a great world art' (E.Trubetskoy). Artistic principles of icon painting were used creatively by both single Russian icon-painters (V.Vasnetsov, M.Nesterov, K.Petrov-Vodkin), foreign ones (A.Matisse) and by the whole vanguard schools.

Words

· essence ['es(ə)ns] – суть, смысл

· concern [kən'sɜ:n] – касаться, затрагивать

· artistic [ɑ:'tɪstɪk] perception [pə'sepʃ(ə)n] – художественное восприятие

· icon worshiping – иконопочетание

· the doctrine of Incarnation – доктрина о воплощении

· adopt – перенимать, заимствовать

· flourishing ['flʌrɪʃɪŋ] – период расцвета

· spiritual ['spɪrɪtʃʋəl] consent [kən'sent] and unity – духовное согласие и единение

· undergo – подвергаться, претерпевать

· court school – придворная щкола

· plot schemes [ski:mz] – эскизы

· distinguish [dɪs'tɪŋgwɪʃ] – отличаться

· refinement [rɪ'faɪnmət] of color – изящество цвета

· careful working at details – тщательное прописывание деталей

· vanguard ['vængɑ:d] schools – авангардистские школы

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