Da Bisanzio alla Santa Russia. Nikodim Kondakov (1844-1925) e la nascita della storia dell’arte in Russia
| Title in English | From Byzantium to Holy Russia. Nikodim Kondakov (1844-1925) and the birth of art history in Russia |
|---|---|
| Authors | |
| Year of publication | 2011 |
| Type | Monograph |
| MU Faculty or unit | |
| Citation | |
| Description | The medieval icon is now associated, almost automatically, to two names: Byzantium and Russia. The expressive, concise and mesmerizing beauty of medieval icons is, in fact, known as the most characteristic manifestation of the ancient art eastern empire, but also and above all of the land o the Tsar. As important, this perception is not limited to the western world: in Russia itself, the icon is understood as a kind of national banner, an authentic expression of the culture of the country. Just over a century and a half ago the situation was radically different: in Russia and in the West, the old icon was in fact unknown, while the medieval Byzantium and Russia were regarded as synonymous with barbarism and backwardness. The roots of contemporary perceptions of the medieval Orthodox culture should therefore be sought in the fundamental shift of paradigm which occurred in Greece, but especially in Russia during the nineteenth century with the emergence of a new perception of their national identity. Equally crucial to the discovery and subsequent appreciation of the art of Eastern Europe have, however, also been the artistic movements of post-romantic and above all the avant-garde, who wanted to recognize the icon status of a work of art. A fundamental role in this discovery was finally played by birth and certainly by the development of modern human sciences, especially history and art history. It is in this period of invention of medieval Orthodox culture, take place the life of Nikodim Kondakov (1844-1925), father of art history in Russia and the subject of this volume. |