Artistic style in the art of Europe 17 - 19centuries, the most important feature of which was a deep appeal to ancient art as an ideal, a standard, - classicism. In painting, as in sculpture, architecture and other forms of creativity, the traditions of the Renaissance continued - faith in the power of the human mind, the worship of the ideals of the measure and harmony of the ancient world.
The tendencies of classicism appeared in Italy at the end16th century. The pan-European style began to form in the bosom of French artistic culture. The aesthetic value of this era has only timeless, timeless. Great importance was attached to the educational and social functions of art. Therefore, classicism in painting brings forth the newest ethical norms, which forms the images of its heroes: subordination to common personal, passions to reason, duty, supreme interests of the public, the laws of the universe, staunchness against the vicissitudes of life and cruelty of fate. Orientation to enduring images, to a reasonable beginning, determined the regulation of artistic laws, the normative requirements of classical aesthetics, a strict hierarchy of existing genres - from "low" (portrait, landscape, still life) to "high" (mythological, historical, religious). Each genre put forward meaningful strict boundaries and formal clear signs.
The first classicism in painting was introduced by the Frenchman N.Poussin, he is his founder. The artist's paintings - "Death of Germanicus", "Rinaldo and Armida", "Arcadian shepherds", "Finding Moses", etc. All of them are marked by the harmony of rhythmic color and structure, the sublimity of ethical and philosophical content.
Classicism in Russian painting was expressedaffirmation of the beauty of the individual, unique, unusual. The highest achievement of this era is in painting, not historical themes, but a portrait (A. Antropov, A. Agrunov, F. Rokotov, D. Levitsky, V. Borovikovsky, O. Kiprensky). Russian classicism in painting of the 19th century occupies an honorable place, because it has its own discoveries and features. O. Kiprensky, for example, discovered not only new human qualities, but also the newest possibilities of painting. All of his portraits are different: each has its own original painting. Some are built on the picturesque contrast of shadow and light. In others, there is a subtle gradation of similar, close colors.
Russian classicism in painting is compulsoryis associated with Bryullov's priceless paintings. They differ in the fusion of academic classicism and romanticism, the novelty of the stories, the theatrical effect of plastic and lighting, the complexity of the composition. A. Ivanov was able to overcome many of the patterns inherent in academic technology and gave his work the character of sacrificial judgments to ideas.
Classicism in Russian painting also promotedsuch famous artists: I. Repin, I. Surikov, V. Serov, I. Shishkin, A. Savrasov, I. Levitan. All of them individually did a lot for the art of their country, and together they were taken for the culture of the whole world.
