Examples of what are eternal themes in art. Lesson "eternal themes in art"

Undoubtedly, the preservation of the cultural heritage of mankind is one of the most important activities of people involved in one way or another in the field of culture. However, the preservation of cultural heritage, according to the author of the article, cannot be an end in itself; culture as a kind of living organism, a dynamic system - implies continuous processes of change and renewal. During the course of these processes, “nodal” moments of conflict between innovative and protective tendencies are often observed. This conflict takes completely different forms, from “peaceful” polemics to shockingly shocking slogans. Each era finds its own variants of the relationship and establishment of balance between canonicity and experimentation.

However, both the absolute dictate of the canon and its absolute rejection do not contribute to the development of culture as a whole or its individual areas. Subsequently, as the time period increases, the conflict “smoothes out” and new processes of integration begin; after the conflict, integration proceeds differently, on a new “turn of the spiral.” These theses can be illustrated, for example, by the differentiation of art forms after primitive syncretism - and their later synthesis. For more details, see... This stage activates the search in the “old” for the “eternal” zone, in tradition - the invariant zone. We are talking about the “zone”, since there is more “old” than “eternal”, and a certain selection mechanism works here .. It is this zone that goes beyond the scope of exclusively historical interest and becomes, if not the basis, then a necessary element of the emerging new systems.

It is quite fair to consider the so-called “eternal themes” in art to be one of these zones. “Eternal themes” involve layers of the psyche and thinking that have not lost relevance throughout the history of mankind; one cannot, for example, call the theme of the struggle between good and evil, the theme of the search for truth, the theme of sacrifice, the theme of love, etc. outdated. These issues have been considered more than once from different angles: it is enough to recall the legacy of K.G. Jung, K. Lévi-Strauss, Y. Lotman, L. Gumilyov, etc. In any case, we observe a search for a timeless invariant - in the content or structural aspect of an artistic text or consciousness in general. Often mythological motifs and images, which are elements of that very zone of the “eternal” in the “old,” act as invariants. Thus, a stable “golden fund” is formed of the most frequently repeated images and situations that fit into any historical context and any specific circumstances. Just as repetition and intonation arches serve as the most important anchors of poetic or musical form, “eternal themes” probably function as the “fasteners” of human civilization.

Many innovations of modern “director’s theater” are based on this property of “eternal themes.” Disputes about the necessity and adequacy of “modernizing” masterpieces of two or three centuries ago do not cease; There are opinions that in this way a thread is “stretched” between eras, there are opinions that in this way modern art demonstrates its own powerlessness. Both opinions are controversial, but have an undeniable right to exist. But a modern artist has no right to blame his era for the “poverty of subjects.” Repeating images and situations are observed everywhere, you just need to be able to “recognize” them. For example, the theme of self-sacrifice extends far into the centuries: it could be the myth of Iphigenia, who agreed to ascend to the altar for the sake of the victory of her compatriots; maybe a story about the poetess Juana Ines de la Cruz, who treated people suffering from the plague and died from it; maybe a story about the feat of Alexander Matrosov; the story of Shavarsh Karapetyan, the world champion in scuba diving, who saved dozens of lives when a trolleybus fell from the Yerevan dam, at the cost of his own disability; maybe - just read the news feed in Yandex - a story about the feat of the Novgorod nurse Yulia Onufrieva, who saved several dozen lives at her own cost. These are just a few cases out of thousands that have occurred in history, constituting the great “eternal theme” of self-sacrifice. There are opinions about the blasphemy of considering such cases as a “plot”; however, by becoming a plot, the story takes on eternal life, and this may be even more important for preserving the memory of humanity about the heroes than the erection of an obelisk..

Thus, “eternal themes” are called eternal because they have enduring relevance. At the same time, they constitute a certain conceptual and emotional layer that exists in the consciousness of humanity as an inextricable whole; therefore, along with the relevance of the topic, artistic texts do not lose their relevance. An artistic text in this case is understood as a local formation based on any language code (be it painting, music, literature, theater, etc.), embodying it. This largely explains the accessibility of artistic texts of any era to the modern viewer/listener. In this case, the cultural heritage of various eras is not only preserved, but also in demand, organically woven into the integral system of modern cultural space.

Understanding the fund of “eternal themes” in art as a mechanism for preserving cultural heritage presupposes work on their systematization, which is necessary, since it is currently absent.

What is important is perspective, and not just the retrospective significance of “eternal themes.” They are a mechanism not only for preserving cultural heritage, but also for increasing cultural values ​​and further developing culture. “Eternal themes” in art serve as a kind of “bridge” connecting the past, present and future, a guarantee of the immortality of artistic images, human creativity, and the whole culture as a whole.

XXXV December evenings complete the year of the 100th anniversary of Svyatoslav Richter. Traditionally, the music festival is accompanied by an exhibition. This year it is dedicated to “eternal themes of art.” Of the many subjects, four were chosen: “Love”, “Heroism and Valor”, “Life and Fate”, “Man and the World”. Each theme is accompanied by a musical program for “December Evenings”.

The exhibition is structured in the form of a dialogue between artists from different eras and countries. The exhibition will feature 52 works: paintings, sculptures, graphics.

The theme of “Love” is revealed in the works of masters from ancient times to the present day: a statue of the nobleman Uniu with his wife and son by the ancient Egyptian sculptor of the 18th dynasty and ancient Aphrodite; a comprehensive image of spiritual love - “Madonna and Child” by a follower of the Renaissance artist Bernardino Butinone and the image of heartfelt care on the canvas of Jean-Baptiste Simeon Chardin “Prayer before dinner”; love-game in Antoine Watteau’s “A Difficult Proposal” and the sensual perception of the beauty of the female body in Alexander Samokhvalov’s painting “After the Cross.”

The musical part of this theme will be continued by the works of Robert Schumann, Richard Wagner and Franz Liszt.

The theme of “Heroism and Valor” is represented by several sculptural compositions, since heroic subjects require scale, elevation, and monumental forms. Ancient art is shown by a rare work from the end of the 2nd – beginning of the 1st century BC. – the tombstone of a warrior with a spear and shield.

Monuments to great commanders - defenders of the Fatherland - are found in many cities around the world. At the exhibition they are represented by the herm of Pericles and the statue of Alexander Suvorov by M.I. Kozlovsky.

For the first time in Moscow, paintings by Nicolas Poussin “Tancred and Erminia” (GE) and “Rinaldo and Armida” (Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts), based on the plots of the knightly poem “Jerusalem Liberated” by Torquato Tasso, will be shown together.

The theme of heroic events will be heard in the works of Ludwig van Beethoven and Dmitry Shostakovich.

The section “Life and Fate” includes paintings by Peter van der Willige “Allegory of Mortality”, Peter van der Kros “Storm at Sea”, Jan Buckhorst (?) and Peter Buhl “Vanity of Vanities” and, of course, Bernardo Strozzi’s masterpiece “Allegory of Mortality ( Old coquette)".

The works of Russian artists are widely represented: “The Sorceress of Endor Summons the Shadow of Samuel” by Nikolai Ge, “Still Life with a Mirror” by Pavel Kuznetsov, “Rock. Red Wall" by Wassily Kandinsky.

The musical part of this theme will be represented by works by Modest Mussorgsky, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Ludwig van Beethoven and Dmitry Shostakovich.

From the endless variety of possible options for revealing the theme “Man and the World”, the motive of man’s presence in front of the earth and sky was chosen - large-scale visions of nature.

Such are the paintings of the Renaissance master Dosso Dossi “Landscape with scenes from the lives of saints”, Caspar David Friedrich “Giant Mountains”, Alexander Ivanov “Water and stones near Palazzuolo”, Paul Cezanne “Mount of Saint Victoria (Landscape in Aix)”. These works, epic in their sense of the world, correspond in scale of the world sense to the piercingly lyrical sketch “Above Eternal Peace” by Isaac Levitan. The paintings “Heavenly Battle” by Nicholas Roerich and “Space” by Natalia Goncharova are filled with a premonition of the future, bearing menacing signs of global changes.

Viewers will hear works by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, Joseph Haydn, Antonio Vivaldi and Franz Schumann that reflect this theme in music.

The works presented at the exhibition are stored in the collections of the Pushkin Museum. A.S. Pushkin, State Hermitage, State Tretyakov Gallery, State Russian Museum, Serpukhov History and Art Museum, State Museum-Estate "Arkhangelskoe", Astrakhan Art Gallery named after P.M. Dogadina.

The concept of “art” is known to everyone. It surrounds us throughout our lives. Art plays a big role in the development of humanity. It appeared long before the creation of writing. From our article you can learn about the role and tasks.

What is art? General information

The concept of “art” is quite multifaceted. Usually it refers to a branch of human activity that can satisfy one spiritual need, namely the love of beauty. Art is a special form of social consciousness. It is this that represents the artistic reflection of human life. Thanks to it, you can find out how people lived in a different time period.

The very first author who revealed the concept of “art” was Charles Bateau. He created a whole treatise in which he classified this branch of human activity. His book The Fine Arts Reduced to One Principle was published in 1746. Charles Bateau believes that they can be defined according to several criteria. The author is sure that art brings pleasure, and it is also of a spiritual, not physical nature.

The concept of “art” includes painting, music, poetry, architecture and much more that we encounter every day. Any type of artistic activity has certain positive qualities. Each sphere of art has a special way of reproducing reality and artistic tasks. All types of artistic activity are divided into types and genres.
Art is usually divided into three groups:

• tonic (music and poetry);
• figurative (architecture, painting and sculpture);
• mixed (choreography, acting, public speaking and others).

There are various types of art:

• spatial, in which, thanks to construction, a visible image is revealed (sculpture, architecture);
• temporary, in which the composition unfolding in real time (poetry, music) acquires significance;
• spatio-temporal - entertainment art (circus performance, cinema, choreography).

Graphics

Graphic art is a type that includes drawing and printed graphics of images (engraving, minotopy, etc.). Its means of expression are contour, stroke, background and spot. It is known that this is the most popular form of fine art. In its content and form, graphics have much in common with painting.

Engraving is a type of graphics in which the drawing is a printed impression. It is applied with a special engraver. The engraving can be depicted on metal, wood and linoleum.

Another popular type of graphics is a special method of flat printing, in which the surface of a stone serves as the printing plate. This type was invented in 1798. The image is applied to the stone using a special ink or pencil.

The art of graphics is the most ancient of all existing ones. The first images exist from the Neolithic and Bronze Ages. Our ancestors scratched designs on cave walls and rocks. After some time, the images were applied to weapons and household items. After writing appeared, graphics were used in the design of letters, books and charters.

Methods for copying designs were unknown for many years. That is why all images were created in a single copy. It is no secret that today such graphic drawings are in demand among collectors.

In the mid-20th century, specialists began to develop black and white graphics techniques. More than 20 graphic texture options were created. Training manuals were published. Today graphics occupies a leading place in art.

Bento

Bento is an unusual art for children and adults. It's no secret that many parents don't know how to teach their child to eat healthy. Today, there is a large selection of unhealthy and even dangerous foods on store shelves. A new type of art can come to the rescue - bento. It appeared in China. This is the term the Chinese call food that they pack in special boxes and take with them to school or work. A bento is a work of art that you can eat. Talented housewives and chefs create figurines and small paintings from food. The main difference between such food is balance and the presence of a large amount of vitamins. The Chinese create edible works of art only from healthy food.

Bento is an art for children and adults, thanks to which the child will be happy to eat healthy foods. In our country it is not yet so popular, but several masters are already known who have mastered this technique.

The influence of art on the consciousness and life of a child. How to explain modern works of art to a child?

Art plays an important role in a child's life and the development of his personality. Today, absolutely every person should have at least basic knowledge about this or that field of activity. Society is developing rapidly, and therefore each personality must be multifaceted. Many modern parents try to instill in their child a love of art as early as possible. For this purpose, a considerable number of parenting methods have been developed that can be used from the first months of a child’s life.

The child receives an understanding of the types of art at school. Typically, parents, teachers and educators pay a lot of attention to writing, reading, counting and other subjects for which the left hemisphere of the brain is responsible. To develop the right, you will need to engage in music, dancing and other types of arts. It is important to develop both hemispheres of the brain in order to later become a fully formed personality.

Thanks to mastering art in a child:

• personality is formed;
• the level of intellectual potential increases;
• moral guidelines are formed;
• the ability of creative thinking develops;
• self-confidence appears and self-esteem increases;
• memory and attention develops;
• horizons expand.

In order to introduce a child to art, it is important first of all to organize an area in which all the materials necessary for creative activity will be stored. You will need to have several books about art at home. From early childhood, a child needs to read them. It is important to discuss everything you have learned. To get acquainted with art, you will need to visit museums, galleries, theaters and exhibitions with your child at least once a month. Under no circumstances should you throw away drawings, applications and crafts created by children. Thanks to them you can see the creative growth of the child. It is also important to enroll him in a thematic club as early as possible, activities in which he will like.

Some works of modern art cause bewilderment not only from children, but also from adults. It is not uncommon for one child or another to not understand the architecture that was designed by the modernists. It is important to explain to the student that any work of art is an important stage in the development of humanity.

Abstract paintings raise many questions in children. There are a considerable number of special publications, thanks to which parents can show their child how difficult it is to create such a work of art. One of them is “Kandinsky to himself.”

Children are often interested in whether modern and primitive art can be compared. You can find out this and much more in our article.

Fine arts. The history of its development in Russia

There are a large number of different types of art known. Each of them has its own characteristics and advantages. Almost everyone knows what fine art is. Children are introduced to it at an early age.

This is a type of artistic activity, thanks to which a master can, using special means, reproduce the world around him. Its history in Russia is divided into two periods, the border of which was marked by Peter's reforms. B was closely connected with icon veneration. The icons had their own unique artistic style. The purpose of such works of art is to show prayerful composure and peace in communication with God. This is precisely what explains the presence of certain artistic means in icons. Over time, the masters mastered and schools of icon painting opened. The most famous work is considered to be “Trinity” by A. Rublev. Icons from the 15th and 16th centuries are distinguished by their harmony of colors.

In the 17th century, icons of the “Fryazhian script” were popular. They are characterized by elements of Western European painting, namely oil paints, a semblance of light and shadow modeling, and accurate depictions of people and nature. Interest in the icon as a work of art arose only in the 19th century.

Old Russian sculpture existed in the form of stone and wood carvings. Most often, masters depicted images of saints. Particular attention was paid to the face. In the 18th and 19th centuries, sculptors and painters from other countries were in demand. After some time, domestic masters became popular.

In the 18th century, it became most popular. It is characterized by the rigor of the design, the convention of color and the use of scenes from the Bible and mythology. Thus, national art gradually emerged.

In 1860-1880, the first galleries opened, and domestic masters became famous throughout the world. New directions are gradually emerging. Each of them occupied an important place in the formation of cultural heritage. In the 18th and 19th centuries, humanity not only knew what fine art was, but also actively used it.

Themes explored in art

Surprisingly, all the themes and problems that the masters reveal in their works of art have been relevant for many centuries. The ancient Romans argued that art, unlike human life, is eternal. This is no coincidence. Themes in art highlight social issues that are often encountered today. That is why they are of great value to humanity. Masters often reveal the theme of love, nature and friendship in their works.

Over time, trends in art change and new masters appear, but the themes and images remain unchanged. That is why any work remains relevant for many years.

Art and its role

The role of art in the life of society is invaluable. It is based on an artistic and figurative reflection of reality. Art shapes the spiritual appearance of people, their feelings, thoughts and worldview. The figurative recreation of reality creates our personality. Art helps you develop and improve yourself. And also to get to know the world around you and yourself.

Art is cultural heritage. Thanks to works of art, you can find out how people lived at one time or another. Recently, various art techniques have become especially popular. Through art you can learn to control yourself. By creating an artistic object, you can forget about problems and get rid of depression.

Art and its tasks

Maxim Gorky believed that the tasks of art lie in the moral and aesthetic assessment of all significant phenomena. The writer said that thanks to this you can learn to understand yourself, fight vulgarity, be able to understand people and find something good in them. Today three functions of artistic activity are known. The objectives of art are research, journalism and education. Masters believe that the function of artistic activity is to bring beauty into the souls and hearts of people. Nikolai Vasilyevich Gogol argued that the task of art is to depict reality.

Modern and primitive art

Many people are interested in, At first glance, this is impossible. However, this is not true. If we perceive art as a way of personal expression, then both the modern and the primitive are on the same plane. By comparing them, you can understand how a person’s perception has changed.

Human thinking has become more abstract. This indicates the active development of intelligence. Over time, man has changed his priorities and today perceives life differently than his primitive ancestors. Previously, masters were interested in the appearance of the object and its form, but now emotions play a major role in the works. This distinction has existed since the late 19th century.

Let's sum it up

It is important to develop not only the left, but also the right hemisphere of the brain from an early age. To do this you need to practice art. It is especially important to pay due attention to the creative development of the child. We strongly recommend doing this from the first years of his life. Not everyone understands the role, tasks and types of art. The briefly described information in our article allows you to gain basic knowledge about various artistic fields of activity.

The number of styles and trends is huge, if not infinite. The key feature by which works can be grouped into styles is the common principles of artistic thinking. The replacement of some methods of artistic thinking by others (alternation of types of compositions, methods of spatial construction, color features) is not accidental. Our perception of art has also historically changed.
By building a system of styles in a hierarchical order, we will adhere to the Eurocentric tradition. The most important concept in the history of art is the concept of era. Each era is characterized by a certain “picture of the world”, which consists of philosophical, religious, political ideas, scientific concepts, psychological characteristics of worldview, ethical and moral standards, aesthetic criteria of life, by which one era is distinguished from another. These are the Primitive Age, the Age of the Ancient World, Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Renaissance, and the Modern Age.
Styles in art do not have clear boundaries; they smoothly transform into one another and are in continuous development, mixing and opposition. Within the framework of one historical artistic style, a new one is always born, and that, in turn, passes into the next. Many styles coexist at the same time and therefore there are no “pure styles” at all.
Several styles can coexist in the same historical era. For example, Classicism, Academicism and Baroque in the 17th century, Rococo and Neoclassicism in the 18th century, Romanticism and Academicism in the 19th century. Styles such as classicism and baroque are called great styles because they apply to all types of art: architecture, painting, decorative and applied arts, literature, music.
It is necessary to distinguish between: artistic styles, directions, trends, schools and features of the individual styles of individual masters. Within one style there can be several artistic movements. An artistic direction consists of both typical characteristics of a given era and unique methods of artistic thinking. Art Nouveau style, for example, includes a number of trends from the turn of the century: post-impressionism, symbolism, fauvism, etc. On the other hand, the concept of symbolism as an artistic movement is well developed in literature, while in painting it is very vague and unites artists who are so different stylistically that they are often interpreted only as a worldview that unites them.

Below will be given definitions of eras, styles and trends that are one way or another reflected in modern fine and decorative arts.

	- an artistic style that developed in the countries of Western and Central Europe in the 12th-15th centuries. It was the result of the centuries-long evolution of medieval art, its highest stage and at the same time the first pan-European, international artistic style in history. He covered all types of art - architecture, sculpture, painting, stained glass, book design, decorative and applied arts. The basis of the Gothic style was architecture, which is characterized by pointed arches directed upward, multi-colored stained glass windows, and visual dematerialization of form. Elements of Gothic art can often be found in modern interior design, in particular in wall paintings, and less often in easel paintings. Since the end of the last century, there has been a gothic subculture, clearly manifested in music, poetry, and clothing design.
	(Renaissance) - (French Renaissance, Italian Rinascimento) An era in the cultural and ideological development of a number of countries in Western and Central Europe, as well as some countries in Eastern Europe. The main distinctive features of Renaissance culture: secular character, humanistic worldview, appeal to the ancient cultural heritage, a kind of “revival” of it (hence the name). The culture of the Renaissance has specific features of the transitional era from the Middle Ages to modern times, in which the old and the new, intertwining, form a unique, qualitatively new alloy. A difficult question is the chronological boundaries of the Renaissance (in Italy - 14-16 centuries, in other countries - 15-16 centuries), its territorial distribution and national characteristics. Elements of this style in modern art are often used in wall paintings, less often in easel painting.
	- (from the Italian maniera - technique, manner) a movement in European art of the 16th century. Representatives of mannerism moved away from the Renaissance harmonious perception of the world, the humanistic concept of man as a perfect creation of nature. A keen perception of life was combined with a programmatic desire not to follow nature, but to express the subjective “inner idea” of an artistic image born in the artist’s soul. It manifested itself most clearly in Italy. For Italian mannerism of the 1520s. (Pontormo, Parmigianino, Giulio Romano) are characterized by dramatic sharpness of images, tragic worldview, complexity and exaggerated expression of poses and motives of movement, elongated proportions of figures, coloristic and light and shadow dissonances. Recently, it has begun to be used by art historians to refer to phenomena in contemporary art associated with the transformation of historical styles.
	- a historical artistic style that became widespread initially in Italy in the middle. XVI-XVII centuries, and then in France, Spain, Flanders and Germany in the XVII-XVIII centuries. More broadly, this term is used to define the ever-renewing trends of a restless, romantic attitude, thinking in expressive, dynamic forms. Finally, in every time, in almost every historical artistic style, one can find its own “Baroque period” as a stage of the highest creative upsurge, tension of emotions, explosiveness of forms.
	- artistic style in Western European art of the 17th - early years. XIX century and in Russian XVIII - early. XIX, who turned to the ancient heritage as an ideal to follow. It manifested itself in architecture, sculpture, painting, decorative and applied arts. Classical artists considered antiquity the highest achievement and made it their standard in art, which they sought to imitate. Over time, it degenerated into academicism.
	- a direction in European and Russian art of the 1820-1830s, which replaced classicism. The Romantics highlighted individuality, contrasting the ideal beauty of the classicists with an “imperfect” reality. Artists were attracted to bright, rare, extraordinary phenomena, as well as images of a fantastic nature. In the art of romanticism, acute individual perception and experience play an important role. Romanticism freed art from abstract classicist dogmas and turned it to national history and images of folklore.
	- (from Latin sentiment - feeling) - a direction in Western art of the second half of the 18th century, expressing disappointment in “civilization” based on the ideals of “reason” (Enlightenment ideology). S. proclaims the feeling, solitary reflection, and simplicity of the rural life of the “little man.” J. J. Rousseau is considered the ideologist of S.
	- a direction in art that strives to depict with the greatest truth and reliability both the external form and the essence of phenomena and things. How a creative method combines individual and typical features when creating an image. The longest direction in existence, developing from the primitive era to the present day.
	- direction in European artistic culture of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Emerging as a reaction to the dominance of the norms of bourgeois “common sense” in the humanitarian sphere (in philosophy, aesthetics - positivism, in art - naturalism), symbolism primarily took shape in French literature of the late 1860-70s, and later became widespread in Belgium and Germany , Austria, Norway, Russia. The aesthetic principles of symbolism largely went back to the ideas of romanticism, as well as to some doctrines of the idealistic philosophy of A. Schopenhauer, E. Hartmann, partly F. Nietzsche, to the creativity and theorizing of the German composer R. Wagner. Symbolism contrasted living reality with the world of visions and dreams. A symbol generated by poetic insight and expressing the otherworldly meaning of phenomena hidden from everyday consciousness was considered a universal tool for comprehending the secrets of existence and individual consciousness. The creative artist was seen as a mediator between the real and the supersensible, everywhere finding “signs” of world harmony, prophetically guessing signs of the future both in modern phenomena and in events of the past.
	- (from the French impression - impression) a direction in art of the last third of the 19th - early 20th centuries, which arose in France. The name was introduced by the art critic L. Leroy, who disparaged the exhibition of artists in 1874, where, among others, the painting “Sunrise” by C. Monet was presented. Impression". Impressionism affirmed the beauty of the real world, emphasizing the freshness of the first impression and the variability of the environment. The predominant attention to solving purely pictorial problems reduced the traditional idea of ​​drawing as the main component of a work of art. Impressionism had a powerful impact on the art of European countries and the United States and aroused interest in subjects from real life. (E. Manet, E. Degas, O. Renoir, C. Monet, A. Sisley, etc.)
	- a movement in painting (synonymous with divisionism), which developed within the framework of neo-impressionism. Neo-Impressionism originated in France in 1885 and also spread to Belgium and Italy. Neo-impressionists tried to apply in art the latest achievements in the field of optics, according to which painting made with separate dots of primary colors in visual perception gives a fusion of colors and the entire gamut of painting. (J. Seurat, P. Signac, C. Pissarro).
	Post-Impressionism- a conditional collective name for the main directions of French painting in the XIX - 1st quarter. XX century The art of post-impressionism arose as a reaction to impressionism, which focused on conveying the moment, on the feeling of picturesqueness and lost interest in the shape of objects. Among the post-impressionists are P. Cezanne, P. Gauguin, V. Gogh and others.
	- style in European and American art at the turn of the 19th-20th centuries. Modernism reinterpreted and stylized the features of art from different eras, and developed its own artistic techniques based on the principles of asymmetry, ornamentality and decorativeness. Natural forms also become the object of modernity stylization. This explains not only the interest in floral ornaments in modernist works, but also their very compositional and plastic structure - the abundance of curvilinear outlines, floating nerves, new contours reminiscent of plant forms. Closely connected with modernity is symbolism, which served as the aesthetic and philosophical basis for modernity, relying on modernity as a plastic realization of its ideas. Art Nouveau had different names in different countries, which are essentially synonymous: Art Nouveau - in France, Secession - in Austria, Art Nouveau - in Germany, Liberty - in Italy.
	- (from the French modern - modern) the general name of a number of art movements of the first half of the 20th century, which are characterized by the denial of traditional forms and aesthetics of the past. Modernism is close to avant-gardeism and opposite to academicism.
	- a name that unites a range of artistic movements common in the 1905-1930s. (Fauvism, Cubism, Futurism, Expressionism, Dadaism, Surrealism). All these directions are united by the desire to renew the language of art, rethink its tasks, and gain freedom of artistic expression.
	- direction in art from XIX - AD. XX century, based on the creative lessons of the French artist Paul Cezanne, who reduced all forms in the image to the simplest geometric figures, and color to contrasting structures of warm and cold tones. Cezanne served as one of the starting points for Cubism. To a large extent, Cézanneism also influenced the domestic realistic school of painting.
	- (from fauve - wild) avant-garde movement in French art AD. XX century The name “wild” was given by modern critics to a group of artists who performed in 1905 at the Paris Salon of Independents, and was ironic. The group included A. Matisse, A. Marquet, J. Rouault, M. de Vlaminck, A. Derain, R. Dufy, J. Braque, C. van Dongen and others. The Fauvists were brought together by their attraction to laconic expressiveness of forms and intense coloristic solutions , the search for impulses in primitive creativity, the art of the Middle Ages and the East.
	- deliberate simplification of visual means, imitation of primitive stages of art development. This term refers to the so-called. naive art of artists who did not receive special education, but were involved in the general artistic process late XIX - early. XX century. The works of these artists - N. Pirosmani, A. Russo, V. Selivanov and others - are characterized by a peculiar childishness in the interpretation of nature, a combination of a generalized form and petty literalness in detail. Primitivism of form does not at all predetermine the primitiveness of content. It often serves as a source for professionals who borrow forms, images, and methods from folk, essentially primitive art. N. Goncharova, M. Larionov, P. Picasso, A. Matisse drew inspiration from primitivism.
	- a direction in art that developed on the basis of following the canons of antiquity and the Renaissance. It was common in many European schools of art from the 16th to the 19th centuries. Academicism turned classical traditions into a system of “eternal” rules and regulations that fettered creative searches, and tried to contrast imperfect living nature with “high” improved, non-national and timeless forms of beauty brought to perfection. Academicism is characterized by a preference for subjects from ancient mythology, biblical or historical themes over subjects from the artist’s contemporary life.
	- (French cubisme, from cube - cube) direction in art of the first quarter of the 20th century. The plastic language of cubism was based on the deformation and decomposition of objects on geometric planes, a plastic shift of shape. The birth of Cubism occurred in 1907-1908 - the eve of the First World War. The undisputed leader of this trend was the poet and publicist G. Apollinaire. This movement was one of the first to embody the leading trends in the further development of art of the twentieth century. One of these trends was the dominance of the concept over the artistic value of the painting. J. Braque and P. Picasso are considered the fathers of cubism. Fernand Léger, Robert Delaunay, Juan Gris and others joined the emerging movement.
	- a movement in literature, painting and cinema that arose in 1924 in France. It significantly contributed to the formation of the consciousness of modern man. The main figures of the movement are Andre Breton, Louis Aragon, Salvador Dali, Luis Buñuel, Joan Miro and many other artists from all over the world. Surrealism expressed the idea of ​​existence beyond the real; the absurd, the unconscious, dreams, and daydreams play a particularly important role here. One of the characteristic methods of the surrealist artist is the withdrawal from conscious creativity, which makes it a tool that in various ways extracts bizarre images of the subconscious, akin to hallucinations. Surrealism survived several crises, survived the Second World War and gradually, merging with mass culture, intersecting with the trans-avant-garde, entered postmodernism as an integral part.
	- (from Lat. futurum - future) literary and artistic movement in the art of the 1910s. Assigning itself the role of a prototype of the art of the future, futurism as its main program put forward the idea of ​​​​destructing cultural stereotypes and instead offered an apologia for technology and lowness as the main signs of the present and the future. An important artistic idea of ​​futurism was the search for a plastic expression of the speed of movement as the main sign of the pace of modern life. The Russian version of futurism was called cubofuturism and was based on a combination of the plastic principles of French cubism and European general aesthetic installations of futurism izma.

Works of art invariably capture (by the will of the author or independently of it) the constants of being, its fundamental properties. These are, first of all, such universal and natural principles (universals) as chaos and space, movement and stillness, life and death, light and darkness, fire and water, etc. All this constitutes a complex of ontological themes of art.

Further, the anthropological aspect of artistic themes is invariably significant and unusually rich. It includes, firstly, the actual spiritual principles of human existence with their antinomies (alienation and involvement, pride and humility, readiness to create or destroy, sinfulness and righteousness, etc.).

Secondly, the sphere of instincts associated with the mental and physical aspirations of a person, such as libido (sexual sphere), thirst for power, attraction to material wealth, prestigious things, comfort, etc. Thirdly, in people, what is determined by their gender (masculinity, femininity) and age (childhood, youth, maturity, old age).

And finally, fourthly, these are supra-epochal situations of human life, historically stable forms of human existence (work and leisure, everyday life and holidays; conflict and harmonious principles of reality, peaceful life and wars or revolutions; life in one’s home and stay in a foreign land or travel ; civic activities and private life, etc.). Such situations constitute the sphere of actions and efforts, often searches and adventures, a person’s aspirations to achieve certain goals.

The named (and remaining unnamed) existential principles, coming into art, constitute a rich and multifaceted complex of eternal themes, many of which are “archetypal”, dating back to ritual and mythological antiquity (archaic). This facet of artistic creativity is the heritage of all countries and eras. It appears either as the explicit center of the works, or is present in them latently, or even remains unconscious by the authors (mythopoetic subtext).

In its appeal to eternal themes, art turns out to be akin and close to ontologically oriented philosophy and teachings about human nature (anthropology). The refraction of existential constants in art became the subject of close consideration by philosophers of the Romantic era, as well as by scientists of the mythological Grimm schools in Germany, F.I. Buslaev in Russia) and neo-mythological ones. (N. Fry), psychoanalytic art criticism, focusing on the works of Z. Freud and C. G. Jung.

Recently, a number of serious works have appeared that explore the involvement of mythological archaism in the literary creativity of eras close to us (works of G.D. Gachev, E.M. Meletinsky, Smirnov, V.I. Tyupa, V.N. Toporov). The theoretical generalizations of D.E. deserve special attention. Maksimova.

Stating the enormous importance of universals dating back to the archaic for literature of all eras, the scientist at the same time spoke about the “mythopoetic tradition” in the literature of the 19th-20th centuries. as a non-comprehensive, local phenomenon. This tradition, says D.E. Maksimov, stretches from Dante's Divine Comedy and Milton's poems to Goethe's Faust and Byron's mysteries; it becomes more active after Wagner, in particular in symbolism.

The scientist does not agree with the widely accepted idea of ​​the total mythologism of art and literature: “One cannot approve of the unbridled literary fantasy in the mythological interpretations of modern works of art, which serious and erudite scientists are often carried away by.” This judgment, in our opinion, is completely fair. The actual mythological and mythopoetic beginning and (more broadly) the sphere of existential universals (for all its importance) far from exhausting what is artistically cognized and mastered. This is just one facet of the subject of art.

V.E. Khalizev Theory of literature. 1999