Poetics of memory in landscape paintings by A. N. Benois: Versailles series, 1905–1906
- Annotation
- Authors
- List of references
The art of Russian symbolism of the late 19th to early 20th centuries was headed towards expanding the
narrow limits of the rationalistic methods in comprehending the world through the reconstruction of mythological
consciousness within the conditions of modern historical and cultural situation. In symbolist landscape
compositions the artist created a form of sacral space that is alienated from everyday life and fi lled with mystery.
Yet heterogeneity of the sacral, conditioned with the initial ambivalence of semantic structure («fi lled with divine
power» – «cursed, forbidden, dangerous») assumed opportunity for playful profanation. On this ground of aesthetic
cultivation of artifi cial Beauty from which the symbolistic code unfolds, a grotesque-carnival model was formed.
Benois’ Versailles series (1905–1906) became a vivid embodiment of this idea. This article analyses the fundamental
concept of these artworks – comprehension of the past and actualisation of memory that characterises symbolistic
strategies in organisation of space-time relationships.
- Яковлева Анастасия Сергеевна
- 1. Benois A. N. My memories: in 5 vol. Moscow: Nauka, 1980. 1. 711 (in Russ.). 2. Benois A. N. My memories: in 5 vol. Moscow: Nauka,1980. 2. 743 (in Russ.). 3. Krebel I. A. Mythopoetics of Silver age: experienceof topological refl ection. Saint Petersburg: Aleteiya, 2010.592 (in Russ.). 4. Sokolov M. N. Principle of paradise. Moscow: Progress-Traditsiya, 2011. 704 (in Russ.). 5. Hansen-Löve A.; Bromerlo S. (transl.), Masevich A. Ts.(transl.), Barzakh A. E. (transl.) Russian Symbolism: system ofpoetic motives; Early Symbolism. Saint Petersburg: Akademi-cheskii proekt, 1999. 512 (in Russ.). 6. Bashlar G.; Skuratov B. M. (transl.) Water and dreams:experience of imagination of matter. Moscow: Humanities lit.publ. house, 1998. 268 (in Russ.). 7. Dmitrieva E. E., Kuptsova O. N. Homestead myth life:lost and found paradise. 2nd ed. Moscow: United humanitarianp ubl. house, 2008. 528 (in Russ.).