Articles

The article offers a comprehensive analysis of the artistic language typical of traditional Chinese painting, highlighting its unique semiotic and aesthetic characteristics. It explores how spiritual meaning is conveyed through the technique of free brushwork, the intentional use of empty space, and the profound symbolism of key motifs such as the lotus, peony, dragon, and phoenix. Particular attention is paid to the evolution of styles and techniques reflecting the transition from primitive forms to complex expressive compositions, as well as the role of traditional art in shaping national identity.

The article deals with children’s drawings considering them as a source of inspiration for artists. The study employs an interdisciplinary approach, focusing on characteristics of children’s drawings and their potential to contribute to professional artistic creativity from the viewpoints of art history and psychology. The position that children’s drawings might influence many artists is based on two sources. First, several studies provided by art historians address this impact. Second, documented oral and written testimonies of the artists themselves prove this influence. It is commonly accepted among art critics that children’s drawings may often serve as a reference in various artistic fields. However, this perspective tends to rely on an overly generalized and simplified, thus inaccurate, understanding of the nature of children’s drawings.

Artists frequently express opinions about their own work and often claim children’s drawings as a source of inspiration, emphasising the importance of maintaining a childlike perception of the world. Nevertheless, such statements should be taken with some skepticism. Artists’ remarks on this subject tend to be subjective and emotional, reflecting the nature of artistic creation and self-description, rather than providing reliable material for scientific analysis.

The author concludes that specific features of children’s drawings indicate that they cannot directly serve as source material for adult artists’ creativity. Children’s drawings are based on egocentric thinking inherent to children but alien to adults. Moreover, children’s drawings exhibit qualities absent in professional artworks. Therefore, the influence of children’s drawings on adult artists should be considered as distant and indirect.

The article aims to offer a detailed analysis of the artworks by the German artist Kate Diehn-Bitt. The performed analysis considers the broader context of the period — social and cultural changes unfolding in Europe — and focuses on the perception of female identity. The article examines the paradoxes of modernism, emphasizing the dual nature of artistic activity: the desire for self-expression, on the one hand, and the existence of certain aesthetic norms, on the other. The key objective was to study the artist’s portraits through the lens of gender, as well as examine their iconography and semantics within a complex socio-cultural context. Kate Diehn-Bitt’s works reflect the traditional social roles women played, such as mothers and wives, while considering them from the standpoint of a woman painter, which shapes their perception. The very fact of turning to figuration places her works (mainly portraits and considerably fewer genre compositions) among the masters of new materiality. However, she also significantly stands out due to an unusually lyrical tone of her works, encouraging the viewers approach seemingly familiar motifs from a different perspective. Many of her works show archetypal images; by addressing this theme, the artist questions the possibility of female self-expression in the 20th century society. The author concludes that without radicalising the topic, nor turning to resonant motives, Kate Diehn-Bitt managed to become one of the main exponents of the true self-awareness of women of her generation. Namely, of the mid-20th century European women who, were not deprived of their original essence after getting “freedom of speech”, but rather acquired further opportunities to do achieve their aims, play a significant role in political and social life, as well as to act as an equal partner.

For the first time in Russian art criticism, this article examines the history of the creation and exhibition activities of the association of Italian painters “Modern Artists of Reality” (1947–1949), identifies the most striking features of their painting practice, and defines the creative individuality and identity of each participant in this group. The article analyses the Manifesto of the “Modern Artists of Reality” movement and its basic provisions, which allow us to determine the goals and motivations behind the association’ formation. It traces individual trajectories of each group member in adhering to the principles of the Manifesto, as well as their subsequent artistic careers as ‘artists of Reality’. Both movement-related documents and their artworks were used as materials for the study. The author employs a comprehensive interdisciplinary approach to outline the creative methods of the association’s participants. The conclusion addresses the reasons for the association’s dissolution and assesses the contribution of the ‘artists of Reality’ made to post-war Italian visual art. Moreover, the article discusses the contemporary demand for their artistic heritage and its actual reception in the early 21st-century art world.

The article analyses the aspects underlying the process of constructing a virtual personality within the situation of total digitalization brought to all spheres of human life, including social interactions, culture and art, and creative process. Using methods and tools of deep semiotic analysis and sociological research paradigms, the authors study key structural components of virtual personality (avatar, profile, digital footprint, virtual personality, digital identity, online persona), elaborate a typology of virtual personalities (alter ego, idealised self, experimental identity), and critically overview the mechanisms of constructing virtual personality (selective self-representation, narrative identity in digital environment, and virtual representation). The focus of interest in the analysis is the influence such factors as social context, platform specifics, and cultural paradigm produce on a virtual personality constructing and the preference of a self-presentation strategy. In conclusion, the authors highlight that an adequate study of virtual personality construction requires elaborating and implementing interdisciplinary approaches based on the integration of traditional and digital methods.

One of Winckelmann’s most enigmatic judgments about ancient painting is examined from the point of view of contemporary theories of auto-communication and the mask of silence. Winckelmann suspected the ancient painter Parrhasius of lacking painterly effects, which caused his grace not to manifest itself in everything, despite the impeccability of his talent. The authors argue that Winckelmann proceeded from different modes of considering ancient art, not only direct contemplation but also ecstatic peeping. For him, what was essential was not only what glitters with perfection, but also what catches the eye. We apply the method of contextualising Winckelmann’s legacy. Winckelmann, in describing antique sculpture, was at the same time equal to the practical ways of describing drawing (‘disegno’) and to the theoretical parameters of characterising the expressiveness that prevailed in the era of Mannerism. In doing so, he did not speak of Mannerism; Mannerism remained the null signifier or blind spot of his system. This allowed him to ideologise drawing as an expression of pre-established harmony. But as soon as he confronted the obscure points of ancient art theory, he introduced dynamics, the interactive spinning of plastic choices, which makes him a forerunner of contemporary art with interactive space installations and the poly-screen. Winckelmann’s mimetic theory included an ecstatic element comparable to later theories of ecstatic or affective experience. This allowed him to characterize ancient painting in a consistent way, discovering its pathetic character. Nowadays, his ideas are essential for understanding the switching of modes in the contemplation of painting, from mere fascination to enhanced performative communication.

The article is devoted to the study of Merce Cunningham's one-act ballets as unique examples of postmodern choreography in which traditional ideas about dance are reinterpreted. Special attention is paid to the analysis of the key characteristics of his work: the autonomy of movement from music, the rejection of narrative and linear drama, as well as the use of the method of chance. Cunningham overcame classical ideas about the synchronicity of music and dance, creating ballets where each of the expressive means (movement, sound, set design) existed independently, but interacted within the framework of a common artistic idea. One-act ballets such as "RainForest" (1968) and "BIPED" (1999) are considered in the article as important examples of Cunningham's innovative approach to the organization of space and time, as well as to interaction with technology, including the use of video projections and computer simulation of movements. The article highlights the importance of Cunningham's one-act ballets as a phenomenon that not only changed the way people viewed dance in the 20th century, but also influenced modern choreographic practices. The work is of interest to dance researchers, scholars focused on cultural studies, and anyone investigating postmodern art.

The article studies the cases of a choreographer's appealing to the topics of the 18th century. This issue rarely becomes the subject of scientific research to cover the features of Petipa's work with the material that was widely recognizable and had its stage representation typical of the second half of the 19th century. These ballet performances included all the inherent features, such as the structure of the action, operating with complex choreographic forms, large diversity in the part of the main performer. Later the choreographer's activity resulted in elaborating the traditional 'canonical' representation. The analysis of Petipa's contribution to ballet theater led to proposing a hypothesis that the choreographer was one of the creators of the 18th-century theatrical myth and developed the very principle of aesthetic perception of history among the audience: the stage image he shaped later became generally accepted. The article studies the notion of recognition, which is especially relevant for the ballet theater. It allows the viewers to perceive what they see and to correlate the received impressions with the well-established images of the past typically evoked in a representative of the second half of the 19th century, i.e., isolated from the epoch by a sufficient temporal distance. For the choreographer brought up in the French tradition, as well as for their Russian audience, a sense of historical authenticity is combined in one production with 'variations on a rococo theme'. The authors analyse Petipa's performances created over four decades, which inevitably rely on historical materials of the 18th century, from the early one-act ballet "The Parisian Market" (1859) to one of the last creations, the pantomime "The Heart of the Marquise" (1902).

The article considers tradition as a fundamental factor in the formation and development of the national theater school. The history of theater education is outlined in order to show the theater school as one of the brightest phenomena of the national cultural heritage. This allowed the author to justifiably state the insufficient study of the theater school in the aspect of indivisibility of specific creative methodology, aesthetic and moral values. The significance of the theater school in preserving a certain cultural tradition of theatrical thinking and creativity is considered. The most important principle of the acting school formulated by K. S. Stanislavsky is emphasized. Namely, it is the transfer of the living tradition of the actor's art from the teacher to the student during a pedagogical workshop. The history of the Russian theater school uncovers a unique way of theater schools emerging and developing in a number of regions in Russian provinces. As an important prerequisite for the birth of professional theater schools in the province, the role of theater technical schools is considered. In order to analyse the role of tradition in the formation and development of provincial theatrical school, the author turns to the history and creative methodology of the Yaroslavl theatrical school, one of the leaders in Russian theatrical education. The key role F. E. Shishigin, the founder director and a teacher of the theater, played in the formation of the school is outlined. Having appealed to the Yaroslavl theater school's experience in preserving traditions, the author highlights the necessity of a careful attitude to the tradition and the importance of searching for modern approaches to work with it in the acting school. The study of the historical and topical aspects of the traditional foundations of the Yaroslavl theater school contributes to a deeper understanding of the phenomenon of the Russian theater school.

The article is based on the comparison of stage images created Russian and Soviet actress O.L. Knipper-Chekhov in the play "The Cherry Orchard" and the Chinese actor Mei Lanfang in the play "A Dream in the Garden". The article explores the principles of creating a female image in the Russian and Chinese stage tradition of the mid-20th century, as well as the peculiarities of theatrical and stage culture of China and the USSR of this period. The study reveals the differences in the ways the actors approach to their roles and create images according to the Russian and Chinese stage traditions. Knipper-Chekhov's principle of a 'Secret marriage to an image' and Mei Lanfang's method of 'Moving without changing shape' reflect different aspirations for 'reality' and 'beauty'. This comparative study is based on the creative potential of theatrical art images of the mid-20th century. The article focuses on the way the theatrical directions represented by the two actors understand the universal issues of theatrical art differently, as well as the way the intersection of the key principles of Russian and Chinese (more broadly, Eastern and Western) theatrical traditions leads to mutual penetration and resonance.

One of the most grandiose Buddhist festivals in China is annually celebrated on the eighth day of the fourth month according to the Chinese lunar calendar, when the Birthday of Buddha Shakyamuni or the Day of the Ablution of Buddha is celebrated. On this day, believers wash the statue of Buddha in scented water as a sign of respect. The article describes the Ablution Ceremony, which consists of six parts: monks gathering to greet the Buddha, greeting the statue, washing, blessing and circumambulating it, returning and concluding the rite. The ceremony is examined using the example of the festival in Kaifeng (Henan Province, China), the ancient capital of the Seven Dynasties, Daxiangguo Buddhist Temple was consecrated as a royal temple during the Northern Song Dynasty (960–1127). It is emphasized that during large-scale festivals Daxiangguo Temple also invites more than 800 famous monk-musicians from all over the world to play together on a grand and spectacular stage a special programme called "Offering to Buddha". The article analyses the components of the programme in question and its musical poetics. Namely, it focuses on the function that music performs in the Ablution Ceremony and studies the means of musical expression delivering the emotional atmosphere that corresponds to the traditional prayerful arrangement of the ceremony. The focus is on the role of the Buddhist orchestra of Daxiangguo Temple and the performance of a special piece "Victory Festival" by Hao Yuqi and Liu Yaoting, based on a tune for the suona of Henan Province, which gives the music a bright local flavour. The culture-forming role of Daxiangguo Temple, whose ceremonies are included in the national cultural heritage of China, is emphasized.

The article discusses the activities of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, the teacher standing at the origins of modern music education. Attention is also paid to the composer's contribution to Russian concert life in the last decades of the 19th century. The present review aims to evaluate the role of N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov – his personality, creative and educational activities – in Russian culture.

The author concludes that the issues touched upon in the article deserve further research to be comprehensively described and comprehensively analysed.

The article deals with a bookplate or ex libris, a special type of fine and decorative applied art. Relying on the categories of art semiotics the authors outline the properties of the genre using such concepts as individuality and human personality. The article analyses the role individuality and personality play in producing the idea of a bookplate, in performing its artistic solution and delivering the information about its owner. Another aspect to be investigated is the influence that verbal arts produce on the composition and design of bookplates, namely the synthesis of the visual and the verbal functioning in accordance with the rules of sign ensembles combining signs from different systems. The principles of interaction between the visual and the verbal in a bookplate are considered using the samples from the library belonging to Irakly Andronikov, a scholar, writer and a master of oral storytelling. The samples of oral storytelling by Andronikov were compared to the generalized principles of featuring bookplates to reveal the common mechanisms underlying these materials. The description and attribution of the bookplates reflect the milestones of Andronikov's biography, as well as plots and heroes from the fiction by of Alexander Pushkin and Mikhail Lermontov.

Currently modern civilization is witnessing a unique process of the cultural paradigm transforming, caused by qualitative changes in cultural attitudes, worldviews and values. The traditional attitude to works of art views them as valuable items, which is currently shifting to focus on the «commercial» aspect of creativity processes. These new approaches call for studying the way values may be represented in the sphere of collecting, taking into account that the personal and the social are combined both in creativity process itself and the dynamics of changes in the field. Though mass collecting is a widespread phenomenon in modern Italy, the fashion for particular items of arts is hypothesized to be the key driver for this process, rather than the gist of collecting itself. Moreover, the issues of preserving cultural heritage have gone beyond the field in question. The author uses the method of interdisciplinary approach to study the essential characteristics of the phenomenon of collecting.