RUSSIAN ANIMAL ART OF THE XIX-XX CENTURIES IN THE VIEWS ON THE WORLD OF FLORA AND FAUNA

The article dwells on views of artists-animalists of the XIX-XX centuries on the wildlife world. The worldview questions are considered as a factor of the value of the interconnection of human and wildlife world which is predetermined by the historical situation. The author underlines the indispensable role of the animal in the development of human civilization. So, this implies an ethical attitude towards nature as a unique value. It was also noted that the moral and ethical basis of this relationship, that became actual in the era of global change and the crisis of the ecological situation, was contributing to the formation of ecological way of thinking as the reality of the New time. According to the artist-animalist’s worldview, an animal looks beautiful, its behavior is expedient, that has a beneficial impact on human. The interconnection of artists’ points of view and the way how they see the animalistic image from the position of humans of the New time are also considered in this article.

Russian Animalier Art in the XVIII- XIX Centuries in the Context of European Schools: The Origins and Nature of Development

This study delves into the process of development of Russian animal art of the 18th-19th Centuries. The primary purpose of the research was to make a review of these two historical periods, which determined the typical features of the early and mature periods of development of animal art in Russia—the time of the birth and development of the genre. According to the author, genre issues are important, and talking about it is necessary to define the image of the animalistic nature in all its specificity. In addition, it is noted that researchers do not characterise the stage of early Animalism, which first appeared in the 18th Century, sufficiently. Nevertheless, this genre has demonstrated all the love of artists for the real perception of the natural world and their sincere will to create its truthful and reliable reflection in their works. This tendency is typical for Western European Art. At the same time, it has been explicitly expressed in the works of Russian animal artists. Compared with European Animal Art of the 17th-18th Centuries, Russian ‘Kunstkammer drawing’ and how the class of ‘animal and birds’ was organised looked like a real innovation. These two factors have contributed to the creation of a full-fledged animalistic image. The author underlines that the main principle of imitation of nature was at the basis of teaching in the Russian school. It eventually led to the formation of the genre with its complex, distinctive features. These unique features was observed in the animal art of the 19th Century, mainly in the form of hippique images. Nevertheless, there was an attempt to combine two separated historical periods— the 18th and 19th Centuries, which demonstrated different images, approaches (animal naturalia of the 18th Century and horse characters of the 19th Century). The author, here, tends to talk about Russian Animalism of the 19th Century, one of the most explored ones. Doing so underlines the importance of animal art of the two periods as a historically conditioned cultural phenomenon in the relationship between genres of Fine Art and trends of the time. The historical and artistic method made it possible to identify the connection between these two eras in which Animalism was expressed significantly. Its originality is that it combined two diverse eras into one national whole. Submitted: December 20, 2020; Revised: 12 February 2021; Accepted: 8 April 2021

Khyadag and Zunii Gol: Animal Art and the Bronze to Iron Age Transition in Northern Mongolia

The Late Bronze Age Mongolian culture known for its memorial deer stones and khirigsuur burials, the Deer Stone-Khirigsuur complex (hereafter DSK) dating to 1300–700 BCE, displays persistence over several hundred years. Radiocarbon dates from hearths and horse remains associated with these sites show little change in architecture, ritual practice, and iconography, giving the impression of an unchanging mortuary cultural regime. New research demonstrates that deer stones are memorials to recently deceased leaders that display distinctive features of personal identification within the unifying framework of an over-arching religious theme represented by deer-bird iconography. Despite continuity, the DSK complex is not monolithic. This paper presents evidence for regional cultural and chronological variation in deer stone art and ceremonial activity based on research at the Khyadag and Zunii Gol sites in northcentral Mongolia. Areal excavation, detailed survey, and recording of deer stone art revealed the presence at Khyadag of a new class of miniature deer stones and evidence of copper smelting, and at Zunii Gol — an unusual khirigsuur associated with a deer stone carrying elements of Scytho-Saka animal style art. These data indicate geographic and chronological overlap in V. V. Volkov’s deer stone types and changes in deer stone art and khirigsuur ritual in the later period of the DSK complex. In the future, emphasis needs to be given to broad excavation strategies that explore the contextual history of individual DSK sites, dating of Volkov’s Type II and III deer stones, and regional comparisons with Xinjiang, Baikal, and the Mongolian and Gornyi Altai.

Animalistic art: the problems of terminology and genre frames

Анималистика в искусстве один из самых древних жанров. Его история начинается еще со времен палеолита и достигает своего расцвета лишь в XIX XX веках. Изображения животных всегда были неотъемлемой частью живописи, скульптуры, декоративно-прикладного искусства. Тем не менее исследований на тему анималистического жанра и его развития было сравнительно мало. Вопросы терминологии и границ жанра основополагающие для научного исследования анималистики, определяющие вектор ее дальнейшего рассмотрения, до сих пор не до конца раскрыты в искусствоведении. В данной статье уделяется внимание причинам снижения интереса к анималистике, поднимается проблема актуальности и важности этого направления. Проводится обзор различных жанров в контексте истории искусства. Сравнение различных интерпретаций образов зверей позволяет вывести наиболее точное определение жанра, понять его специфику и обозначить, какие произведения можно относить к анималистике. Данный теоретический очерк можно считать начальным этапом в систематизации особенностей анималистического жанра для дальнейшего его изучения. Animalistic Art is one of the most ancient genres. Its history dates back to Paleolithic era, and in XIX XX centuries it had the peak of the development. The depiction of animals has always been an essential part of painting, sculpture, decorative arts. Nevertheless, there animalistic genre and its evolution are relatively little studied. The problem of terminology and genre frames a sufficient part for scientific research of animal art, which gives the direction for further analysis. But it hasnt been taken as a subject among art historians yet. This article pays attention to the reasons of waning interest to animalistic art among specialists raises the problem of relevance and importance of this genre. The article provides a review of different genres in terms of the art history. The comparison of different interpretations of animal images provides an opportunity to make a precise definition of genre, to understand its specificity and distinguish animalistic art-objects among others. This theoretic essay can be considered as the first step for future studies.