Mythological and Religious Basis of Mykhailo Sapozhnykov’s Symbolic Painting

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyse and systematise the figurative structure of artworks from two series of symbolist paintings by Mykhailo Sapozhnykov in the light of Slavic and ancient mythology, Christian religion. The methodology of scientific research is based on use of systematic approach in combination of general scientific and special methods of cognition, such as analytical, formal-stylistic, systematisation, and generalisation. The application of these methods and approaches contributed to the thorough processing of the identified issues and made it possible to formulate reasoned conclusions. The scientific novelty of research consists in a comprehensive approach of consideration and synthesis on range of issues regarding the influence of Slavic and ancient mythology, the Christian religion on aesthetics and figurative style symbolist painting of M. I. Sapozhnykov. This issue was considered for the first time. Conclusions. The artwork of Mykhailo Sapozhnykov (1871–1937), as a consistent symbolist artist, occupies a special place in the history of Ukrainian fine art. Range of the artist's works presented in the research proved his ultimate interest in ancient and Slavic mythology, as well as the Christian religion, which together become a specific keynote of the paintings from two symbolist series. The artist's interest in mythology is reflected in the presented images, in the titles of artworks, and in pantheistic mood of most symbolist paintings. Animism is an obligatory element of the symbolist painting’s aesthetics by M. Sapozhnykov. According to the results of scientific research, two types of figures are allocated according to their function and status: personifications of natural forces, where elements and earthly matter itself, appear in anthropomorphic and zoomorphic forms and figures of folk demonology, among which the figure of Pan stands out – the key character of the artist's symbolist paintings. Following the results of research, it was found that 18 symbolist paintings have thematic quotations from the Bible selected by the author as a kind of epigraph, what are artist by himself called "keys".

Keywords: Mykhailo Sapozhnykov, symbolism, painting, mythology, pantheism, the first quarter of 20th century, Dnipro Art Museum.