Literary value of artistic works of the era of classicism. Concept – Classicism. Need help studying a topic?

Answers to school textbooks

    4. Who is the author of the texts given?
    Two astronomers happened to be together at a feast
    And they argued quite among themselves in the heat.<...>
    I didn't know how to pretend
    Look like a saint
    To puff up one's dignity
    And take the form of a philosopher.<...>

    “Two astronomers happened together at a feast...” - the fable of the same name by M. V. Lomonosov.

    “I didn’t know how to pretend...” - poem “Confession” by G.R. Derzhavina.

    5. What direction do we call classicism? When and where did it originate? What are its features in France and Russia?

    Classicism - artistic style And aesthetic direction V European literature And art XVII - early XVIII century. Its most important feature was its appeal to samples ancient literature and art as an ideal aesthetic standard. The writers were guided by the works of the Greek philosopher Aristotle and the Roman poet Horace. The aesthetics of classicism established a strict hierarchy of genres and styles.

    High genres - tragedy, epic, ode.

    Low genres - comedy, satire, fable.

    Classicism as a cultural phenomenon originated in the 17th century in Northern Italy, during the era late Renaissance. In France, low genres became predominantly widespread, reaching such a high level that Moliere’s comedies were even called “high comedies.” Classicism fell into decline after the Great French Revolution of 1789-1794.

    Russian classicism is characterized by an appeal to national origins, and not to antiquity. It also developed primarily within the framework of “low genres.”

    6. Give an example of a work related to classicism, briefly describe this work.

    Of the works of classicism, in the seventh grade we studied only a short excerpt from “Ode on the Day of the Accession to the All-Russian Throne of Her Majesty Empress Elisaveta Petrovna, 1747” by M. V. Lomonosov. Based on the passage given in the textbook, characterize complete work neither briefly nor in detail.

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    8. Formulate an answer to the question, what are the achievements? literature XVII I century, based on the judgments of V.I. Fedorov and an article in a textbook.

    Before the 18th century, there was no fiction in Russia in the modern sense, that is, a set of works intended for secular reading. The main ones were church books, lives, writings of the church fathers; actually fiction(for example, the works of Simeon of Polotsk) were not widespread.

    During the 18th century, Russian writers created a huge layer of secular literature for reading and theatrical productions. To do this, it was necessary, firstly, to master the literary achievements of other peoples, comprehend them and “transplant” them onto Russian soil.

    Secondly, for literature to become an organic part of society, it was necessary to capture the most important social trends and express them in works of art. So, social life persistently demanded an improvement in morals, and Russian literature actively educated its contemporaries in the spirit of the Enlightenment.

    Writers encourage such qualities as direct expression of likes and dislikes, loyalty to their word, sensitivity and mercy, and most importantly - loyalty to their public duty in the event that main character- boyar or nobleman. Such qualities as duplicity, heartlessness, inability to act based on one’s feelings, and selfish motives for certain actions are condemned.

    Thirdly, Russian authors needed to break away from the more developed foreign literature at that time and find their own voice, gain individuality. It is this finding of one's own voice, the creation national traditions and prepared the way for the flourishing of Russian classics of the next century.

Time of occurrence.

In Europe- XVII -early XIX century

The end of the 17th century was a period of decline.

Classicism was revived during the Enlightenment - Voltaire, M. Chenier and others. After the Great French Revolution, with the collapse of rationalist ideas, classicism went into decline, dominant style European art becomes romanticism.

In Russia- in the 2nd quarter of the 18th century.

Place of origin.

France. (P. Corneille, J. Racine, J. Lafontaine, J. B. Moliere, etc.)

Representatives of Russian literature, works.

A. D. Kantemir (satire “On those who blaspheme the teaching”, fables)

V.K. Trediakovsky (novel “Riding to the Island of Love”, poems)

M. V. Lomonosov (poem “Conversation with Anacreon”, “Ode on the day of the accession to the throne of Empress Elizabeth Petrovna, 1747”

A. P. Sumarokov, (tragedies “Khorev”, “Sinav and Truvor”)

Ya. B. Knyazhnin (tragedies “Dido”, “Rosslav”)

G. R. Derzhavin (ode “Felitsa”)

Representatives of world literature.

P. Corneille (tragedies “Cid”, “Horace”, “Cinna”.

J. Racine (tragedies of Phaedrus, Mithridates)

Voltaire (tragedies "Brutus", "Tancred")

J. B. Moliere (comedies “Tartuffe”, “The Bourgeois in the Nobility”)

N. Boileau (treatise in verse “Poetic Art”)

J. Lafontaine (fables).

Classicism from fr. classicisme, from lat. classicus - exemplary.

Features of classicism.

  • The purpose of art- moral influence on the education of noble feelings.
  • Reliance on ancient art(hence the name of the style), which was based on the principle of “imitation of nature.”
  • The basis is the principle rationalism((from the Latin “ratio” - reason), a view of a work of art as an artificial creation - consciously created, intelligently organized, logically constructed.
  • Cult of the mind(belief in the omnipotence of reason and that the world can be reorganized on a rational basis).
  • Headship state interests over personal, the predominance of civil, patriotic motives, the cult of moral duty. Affirmation of positive values ​​and the state ideal.
  • Main conflict classic works - this is the struggle of the hero between reason and feeling. Positive hero must always make a choice in favor of reason (for example, when choosing between love and the need to completely devote himself to serving the state, he must choose the latter), and a negative one - in favor of feeling.
  • Personality is the highest value of existence.
  • Harmony content and form.
  • Compliance in dramatic work rules "three unities": unity of place, time, action.
  • Dividing heroes into positive and negative. The hero had to embody one character trait: stinginess, hypocrisy, kindness, hypocrisy, etc.
  • Strict hierarchy of genres, mixing of genres was not allowed:

"high"epic poem, tragedy, ode;

“middle” - didactic poetry, epistles, satire, love poem;

"low"- fable, comedy, farce.

  • Purity of language (in high genres - high vocabulary, in low genres - colloquial);
  • Simplicity, harmony, logic of presentation.
  • Interest in the eternal, unchanging, the desire to find typological features. Therefore the images are devoid individual traits, since they are designed primarily to capture stable, generic, enduring characteristics over time
  • Social and educational function of literature. Education of a harmonious personality.

Features of Russian classicism.

Russian literature has mastered stylistic and genre forms classicism, but also had its own characteristics, distinguished by its originality.

  • The state (and not the individual) was declared the highest value) in conjunction with faith in the theory of enlightened absolutism. According to the theory of enlightened absolutism, the state should be headed by a wise, enlightened monarch, requiring everyone to serve for the good of society.
  • General patriotic pathos Russian classicism. Patriotism of Russian writers, their interest in the history of their homeland. They all study Russian history, write works on national and historical topics.
  • Humanity, since the direction was formed under the influence of the ideas of the Enlightenment.
  • Human nature is selfish, subject to passions, that is, feelings that are opposed to reason, but at the same time amenable to education.
  • Affirmation of the natural equality of all people.
  • Main conflict- between the aristocracy and the bourgeoisie.
  • The works are centered not only on the personal experiences of the characters, but also on social problems.
  • Satirical focus- an important place is occupied by such genres as satire, fable, comedy, which satirically depict specific phenomena of Russian life;
  • The predominance of national historical themes over ancient ones. In Russia, “antiquity” was domestic history.
  • High level of development of the genre odes(from M.V. Lomonosov and G.R. Derzhavin);
  • The plot is usually based on love triangle: the heroine is the hero-lover, the second lover.
  • At the end classic comedy Vice is always punished, and goodness triumphs.

Three periods of classicism in Russian literature.

  1. 30-50s of the 18th century (the birth of classicism, the creation of literature, the national language, the flourishing of the ode genre - M.V. Lomonosov, A.P. Sumarkov, etc.)
  2. 60s years - end XVIII century ( main task literature - education of a citizen, human service for the benefit of societies, exposing the vices of people, the flowering of satire - N.R. Derzhavin, D.I. Fonviin).
  3. End XVIII-early XIX century (the gradual crisis of classicism, the emergence of sentimentalism, the strengthening of realistic tendencies, national motives, the image of an ideal nobleman - N.R. Derzhavin, I.A. Krylov, etc.)

Material prepared by: Melnikova Vera Aleksandrovna.

Classicism- artistic style and aesthetic direction in European art of the 17th-19th centuries.

Classicism is based on the ideas of rationalism, which were formed simultaneously with the same ideas in the philosophy of Descartes. A work of art, from the point of view of classicism, should be built on the basis of strict canons, thereby revealing the harmony and logic of the universe itself. Of interest to classicism is only the eternal, the unchangeable - in each phenomenon it strives to recognize only essential, typological features, discarding random individual characteristics. The aesthetics of classicism attaches great importance to the social and educational function of art. Classicism takes many rules and canons from ancient art (Aristotle, Horace).

Classicism establishes a strict hierarchy of genres, which are divided into high (ode, tragedy, epic) and low (comedy, satire, fable). Each genre has strictly defined characteristics, the mixing of which is not allowed.

How a certain direction was formed in France, in the 17th century. French classicism affirmed the personality of man as the highest value of existence, freeing him from religious and church influence. Russian classicism not only adopted Western European theory, but also enriched it with national characteristics.

The founder of the poetics of classicism is the Frenchman Francois Malherbe (1555-1628), who carried out the reform French and verse and developed poetic canons. The leading representatives of classicism in drama were the tragedians Corneille and Racine (1639-1699), whose main subject of creativity was the conflict between public duty and personal passions. High development“low” genres also reached: fable (J. Lafontaine), satire (Boileau), comedy (Molière 1622-1673).

Boileau became famous throughout Europe as the “legislator of Parnassus”, the largest theorist of classicism, who expressed his views in the poetic treatise “Poetic Art”. Under his influence in Great Britain were the poets John Dryden and Alexander Pope, who made alexandrines the main form of English poetry. English prose of the classical era (Addison, Swift) is also characterized by a Latinized syntax.

Classicism of the 18th century developed under the influence of the ideas of the Enlightenment. The work of Voltaire (1694-1778) is directed against religious fanaticism, absolutist oppression, and is filled with the pathos of freedom. The goal of creativity is to change the world in better side, construction in accordance with the laws of classicism of society itself. From the standpoint of classicism, the Englishman Samuel Johnson reviewed contemporary literature, around whom a brilliant circle of like-minded people formed, including the essayist Boswell, the historian Gibbon and the actor Garrick.


In Russia, classicism originated in the 18th century, after the reforms of Peter I. Lomonosov carried out a reform of Russian verse, developed the theory of “three calms”, which was essentially an adaptation of French classical rules to the Russian language. The images in classicism are devoid of individual features, since they are designed primarily to capture stable generic characteristics that do not pass over time, acting as the embodiment of any social or spiritual forces.

Classicism in Russia developed under the great influence of the Enlightenment - the ideas of equality and justice have always been the focus of attention of Russian classic writers. Therefore, in Russian classicism, genres that require the author’s obligatory assessment of historical reality have received great development: comedy (D. I. Fonvizin), satire (A. D. Kantemir), fable (A. P. Sumarokov, I. I. Khemnitser), ode (Lomonosov, G. R. Derzhavin).

In connection with Rousseau’s proclaimed call for closeness to nature and naturalness, crisis phenomena were growing in classicism at the end of the 18th century; The absolutization of reason is replaced by the cult of tender feelings - sentimentalism. The transition from classicism to pre-romanticism was most clearly reflected in German literature the era of “Storm and Drang”, represented by the names of I. V. Goethe (1749-1832) and F. Schiller (1759-1805), who, following Rousseau, saw art main force human upbringing.

The main features of Russian classicism:

1. Appeal to the images and forms of ancient art.

2. Heroes are clearly divided into positive and negative.

3. The plot is usually based on a love triangle: the heroine - the hero-lover, the second lover.

4. At the end of a classic comedy, vice is always punished and good triumphs.

5. The principle of three unities: time (the action lasts no more than a day), place, action.

Romanticism as a literary movement.

Romanticism (French romantisme) is a phenomenon European culture in the 18th-19th centuries, representing a reaction to the Enlightenment and the scientific and technological progress stimulated by it; ideological and artistic direction in European and American culture late 18th century - first half of the 19th century century. It is characterized by an affirmation of the intrinsic value of the spiritual and creative life of the individual, the depiction of strong (often rebellious) passions and characters, spiritualized and healing nature.

Romanticism first arose in Germany, among writers and philosophers of the Jena school (W. G. Wackenroder, Ludwig Tieck, Novalis, brothers F. and A. Schlegel). The philosophy of romanticism was systematized in the works of F. Schlegel and F. Schelling. In its further development, German romanticism was distinguished by an interest in fairy-tale and mythological motifs, which was especially clearly expressed in the works of the brothers Wilhelm and Jacob Grimm, and Hoffmann. Heine, starting his work within the framework of romanticism, later subjected it to critical revision.

In England it is largely due to German influence. In England, its first representatives are the poets of the “Lake School”, Wordsworth and Coleridge. They established the theoretical foundations of their direction, becoming familiar with the philosophy of Schelling and the views of the first German romantics during a trip to Germany. English romanticism is characterized by an interest in social problems: they contrast modern bourgeois society with old, pre-bourgeois relationships, glorification of nature, simple, natural feelings.

A prominent representative of English romanticism is Byron, who, according to Pushkin, “clothed himself in dull romanticism and hopeless egoism.” His work is imbued with the pathos of struggle and protest against modern world, praising freedom and individualism.

Romanticism became widespread in other European countries, for example, in France (Chateaubriand, J.Stal, Lamartine, Victor Hugo, Alfred de Vigny, Prosper Merimee, George Sand), Italy (N. U. Foscolo, A. Manzoni, Leopardi), Poland (Adam Mickiewicz, Juliusz Słowacki , Zygmunt Krasiński, Cyprian Norwid) and in the USA (Washington Irving, Fenimore Cooper, W. C. Bryant, Edgar Allan Poe, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Henry Longfellow, Herman Melville).

It is usually believed that in Russia romanticism appears in the poetry of V. A. Zhukovsky (although some Russian poetic works of the 1790-1800s are often attributed to the pre-romantic movement that developed from sentimentalism). In Russian romanticism, freedom from classical conventions appears, a ballad is created, romantic drama. A new idea is being established about the essence and meaning of poetry, which is recognized as an independent sphere of life, an expression of the highest, ideal aspirations of man; the old view, according to which poetry seemed to be empty fun, something completely serviceable, turns out to be no longer possible.

The early poetry of A. S. Pushkin also developed within the framework of romanticism. The poetry of M. Yu. Lermontov, the “Russian Byron,” can be considered the pinnacle of Russian romanticism. The philosophical lyrics of F. I. Tyutchev are both the completion and overcoming of romanticism in Russia.

Heroes are bright, exceptional individuals in unusual circumstances. Romanticism is characterized by impulse, extraordinary complexity, and the inner depth of human individuality. Denial of artistic authorities. There are no genre barriers or stylistic distinctions. Only the desire for complete freedom creative imagination. For example, we can cite the greatest French poet and writer Victor Hugo and his worldwide famous novel"Notre Dame Cathedral"

In literature, classicism originated and spread in France in the 17th century. Nicolas Boileau is considered a theorist of classicism, who formed the basic principles of the style in the article “Poetic Art.” The name comes from the Latin “classicus” - exemplary, which emphasizes the artistic basis of the style - the images and forms of antiquity, to which they began to have a special interest at the end of the Renaissance. The emergence of classicism is associated with the formation of the principles of a centralized state and the ideas of “enlightened” absolutism in it.

Classicism glorifies the concept of reason, believing that only with the help of the mind can one obtain and organize a picture of the world. Therefore, the main thing in a work becomes its idea (that is, main idea and the form of the work must be in harmony), and the main thing in the conflict of reason and feelings is reason and duty.

The basic principles of classicism, characteristic of both foreign and domestic literature:

  • Forms and images from ancient (ancient Greek and Roman) literature: tragedy, ode, comedy, epic, poetic odic and satirical forms.
  • A clear division of genres into “high” and “low”. The “high” ones include ode, tragedy and epic, the “low” ones, as a rule, are funny - comedy, satire, fable.
  • A distinctive division of heroes into good and bad.
  • Compliance with the principle of the trinity of time, place, action.

Classicism in Russian literature

XVIII century

In Russia, classicism appeared much later than in European countries, since it was “imported” along with European works and enlightenment. The existence of style on Russian soil is usually placed within the following framework:

1. The end of the 1720s, literature of Peter’s time, secular literature, different from the church literature that previously dominated in Russia.

The style began to develop first in translated works, then in original works. With the development of Russian classical tradition the names of A. D. Kantemir, A. P. Sumarokov and V. K. Trediakovsky (reformers and developers) are associated literary language, they worked on poetic forms - on odes and satires).

  1. 1730-1770 - the heyday of the style and its evolution. Associated with the name of M.V. Lomonosov, who wrote tragedies, odes, and poems.
  2. The last quarter of the 18th century saw the emergence of sentimentalism and the beginning of the crisis of classicism. The time of late classicism is associated with the name of D. I. Fonvizin, the author of tragedies, dramas and comedies; G. R. Derzhavin ( poetic forms), A. N. Radishchev (prose and poetic works).

(A. N. Radishchev, D. I. Fonvizin, P. Ya. Chaadaev)

D. I. Fonvizin and A. N. Radishchev became not only developers, but also destroyers of the stylistic unity of classicism: Fonvizin in comedies violates the principle of the trinity, introducing ambiguity in the assessment of heroes. Radishchev becomes the harbinger and developer of sentimentalism, providing psychologism to the narrative, rejecting its conventions.

(Representatives of classicism)

19th century

It is believed that classicism existed by inertia until the 1820s, but during late classicism the works created within its framework were classical only formally, or its principles were used deliberately to create a comic effect.

Russian classicism of the early 19th century is moving away from its breakthrough features: affirmation of the primacy of reason, civic pathos, opposition to the arbitrariness of religion, against its oppression over reason, criticism of the monarchy.

Classicism in foreign literature

Initial classicism was based on the theoretical developments of ancient authors - Aristotle and Horace (“Poetics” and “Epistle to the Piso”).

In European literature, with identical principles, the style ends its existence in the 1720s. Representatives of classicism in France: Francois Malherbe (poetic works, reformation of poetic language), J. Lafontaine ( satirical works, fable), J.-B. Moliere (comedy), Voltaire (drama), J.-J. Rousseau (late classicist prose writer, harbinger of sentimentalism).

There are two stages in the development of European classicism:

  • The development and flourishing of the monarchy, contributing to the positive development of the economy, science and culture. At this stage, representatives of classicism see their task as glorifying the monarch, establishing her inviolability (Francois Malherbe, Pierre Corneille, leading genres - ode, poem, epic).
  • The crisis of the monarchy, the discovery of shortcomings in the political system. Writers do not glorify, but rather criticize the monarchy. (J. Lafontaine, J.-B. Moliere, Voltaire, leading genres - comedy, satire, epigram).

The art of classicism


Introduction


The theme of my work is the art of classicism. This topic really interested me and caught my attention. Art in general covers a lot of things, it includes painting and sculpture, architecture, music and literature, and in general everything that is created by man. Looking through the works of many artists and sculptors, they seemed very interesting to me; they attracted me with their ideality, clarity of lines, correctness, symmetry, etc.

The purpose of my work is to consider the influence of classicism on painting, sculpture and architecture, on music and literature. I also consider it necessary to define the concept of “classicism”.


1. Classicism


The term classicism originated from Latin classicus, which literally means exemplary. In literary and art criticism, the term denotes a specific direction, artistic method and art style.

This art direction is characterized by rationalism, normativity, a tendency toward harmony, clarity and simplicity, schematicism, and idealization. Characteristics are expressed in the hierarchy of “high” and “low” styles in literature. For example, in dramaturgy, unity of time, action and place was required.

Supporters of classicism adhered to fidelity to nature, the laws of the rational world with its inherent beauty, all this was reflected in symmetry, proportions, place, harmony, everything should have been presented as ideal in its perfect form.

Under the influence of the great philosopher and thinker of that time, R. Descartes, the features and characteristics of classicism spread to all spheres of human creativity (music, literature, painting, etc.).


2. Classicism and the world of literature


Classicism as literary direction formed at 16 -17. Its origins lie in the activities of Italian and Spanish academic schools, as well as the association French writers"Pleiades", which during the Renaissance turned to ancient art, to the norms set forth by ancient theorists. (Aristotle and Horace), trying to find in ancient harmonious images new support for the ideas of humanism that had experienced a deep crisis. The emergence of classicism was historically conditioned by the emergence of an absolute monarchy - a transitional form of state, when the weakened aristocracy and the bourgeoisie, which had not yet gained strength, were equally interested in the unlimited power of the king. Classicism reached its highest flowering in France, where its connection with absolutism was especially clear.

The activities of the classicists were led by the French Academy, founded in 1635 by Cardinal Richelieu. The creativity of writers, artists, musicians, and actors of classicism largely depended on the benevolent king.

As a movement, classicism developed differently in European countries. In France, it developed by the 1590s and became dominant by the middle of the 17th century, the highest flowering occurred in 1660-1670. Then classicism underwent a crisis and in the 1st half of the 18th century, Enlightenment classicism became the successor of classicism, which in the 2nd half of the 18th century lost its leading position in literature. During French Revolution In the 18th century, Enlightenment classicism formed the basis of revolutionary classicism, which dominated all spheres of art. Classicism practically degenerated in the 19th century.

As an artistic method, classicism is a system of principles of selection, evaluation and reproduction of reality. The main theoretical work, which sets out the basic principles of classical aesthetics, is “The Poetic Art” of Boileau (1674). The classicists saw the purpose of art in the knowledge of truth, which acts as the ideal of beauty. The classicists put forward a method for achieving it, based on three central categories of their aesthetics: reason, example, taste, which were considered objective criteria of artistry. Great works are the fruit not of talent, not of inspiration, not of artistic imagination, but of stubborn adherence to the dictates of reason, study classical works antiquity and knowledge of the rules of taste. In this way the classicists brought together artistic activity scientifically, therefore, the philosophical rationalistic method of Descartes turned out to be acceptable for them. Descartes argued that the human mind has innate ideas, the truth of which is beyond any doubt. If one moves from these truths to unsaid and more difficult provisions By dividing them into simple ones, methodically moving from the known to the unknown, without allowing logical gaps, then you can find out any truth. This is how reason became the central concept of the philosophy of rationalism, and then the art of classicism. The world seemed motionless, consciousness and ideal - unchanging. The aesthetic ideal is eternal and the same at all times, but only in the era of Antiquity was it embodied in art with the greatest completeness. Therefore, to reproduce the ideal, it is necessary to turn to ancient art and study its laws. That is why imitation of models was valued by classicists much higher than original creativity.

Turning to Antiquity, the classicists abandoned the imitation of Christian models, continuing the struggle of the Renaissance humanists for art free from religious dogma. Classicists borrowed from Antiquity external features. Under names ancient heroes people of the 17th and 18th centuries were clearly visible, and ancient subjects made it possible to pose the most pressing problems of our time. The principle of imitation of nature was proclaimed, strictly limiting the artist’s right to imagination. In art, attention was paid not to the particular, individual, random, but to the general, typical. Character literary hero has no individual traits, acting as a generalization of a whole type of people. Character is a distinctive property, a general quality, the specificity of one thing or another. human type. Character can be extremely, implausibly sharpened. Morals mean general, ordinary, customary, character means special, rare precisely in the degree of expression of the property dispersed in the morals of society. The principle of classicism led to the division of heroes into negative and positive, into serious and funny. Laughter becomes satirical and refers mainly to negative heroes.

Classicists are not attracted to all of nature, but only to “pleasant nature.” Everything that contradicts the model and taste is expelled from art; a whole number of objects seem “indecent”, unworthy high art. In the case when an ugly phenomenon of reality must be reproduced, it is reflected through the prism of beauty.

Classicists paid much attention to the theory of genres. Not all established genres met the principles of classicism. A previously unknown principle of the hierarchy of genres appeared, asserting their inequality. There are main and non-main genres. By the mid-17th century, tragedy had become the main genre of literature. Prose, especially fiction, was considered a lower genre than poetry, so prose genres that were not designed for aesthetic perception became widespread - sermons, letters, memoirs; fiction fell into oblivion. The principle of hierarchy divides genres into “high” and “low”, and certain artistic spheres are assigned to genres. For example, “high” genres (tragedy, ode) were assigned problems of a national nature. In “low” genres it was possible to touch upon private problems or abstract vices (stinginess, hypocrisy). The classicists paid the main attention to tragedy; the laws of its writing were very strict. The plot was supposed to reproduce ancient times, life of distant states ( Ancient Rome, Ancient Greece); it had to be guessed from the title, the idea - from the first lines.

Classicism as a style is a system of pictorial - expressive means, typifying reality through the prism of ancient models, perceived as the ideal of harmony, simplicity, unambiguity, and an ordered system. The style reproduces a rationalistically ordered outer shell ancient culture, without conveying its pagan, complex and undifferentiated essence. The essence of the classicism style was to express the view of the world of a person of the absolutist era. Classicism was distinguished by clarity, monumentality, the desire to remove everything unnecessary, to create a single and integral impression.

The largest representatives of classicism in literature are F. Malherbe, Corneille, Racine, Moliere, La Fontaine, F. La Rochefoucauld, Voltaire, G. Miltono, Goethe, Schiller, Lomonosov, Sumarokov, Derzhavin, Knyazhnin. The works of many of them combine features of classicism and other movements and styles (Baroque, Romanticism, etc.). Classicism developed in many European countries, the USA, Latin America, etc. Classicism was repeatedly revived in the forms of revolutionary classicism, Empire style, neoclassicism and influences the world of art to this day.


3. Classicism and fine arts


The theory of architecture is based on the treatise of Vitruvius. Classicism is the direct spiritual successor of ideas and aesthetic principles the Renaissance, reflected in Renaissance art and theoretical works of Alberti, Palladio, Vignola, Serlio.

IN various countries In Europe, the time stages of the development of classicism do not coincide. Thus, already in the 17th century, classicism occupied significant positions in France, England, and Holland. In the history of German and Russian art, the era of classicism dates from the 2nd half of the 18th century - the 1st third of the 19th century; for the previously listed countries, this period is associated with neoclassicism.

The principles and postulates of classicism developed and existed in constant polemics and at the same time in interaction with other artistic and aesthetic concepts: mannerism and baroque in the 17th century, rococo in the 18th century, romanticism in the 19th century. At the same time, the expression of style in different types and genres of art of a certain period was uneven.

In the second half of the 16th century, there was a collapse of the single harmonious vision of the world and man as its center inherent in the Renaissance culture. Classicism is characterized by normativity, rationality, condemnation of everything subjective and a fantastic demand from art for naturalness and correctness. Classicism also has an inherent tendency towards systematization, towards the creation of a complete theory. artistic creativity, to the search for unchanging and perfect samples. Classicism sought to develop a system of general, universal rules and principles aimed at comprehending and implementing artistic means the eternal ideal of beauty and universal harmony. This direction is characterized by the concepts of clarity and measure, proportion and balance. The key ideas of classicism were set out in Bellori’s treatise “Lives of contemporary artists, sculptors and architects” (1672), the author expressed the opinion that it was necessary to choose a middle path between mechanically copying nature and leaving it into the realm of fantasy.

Ideas and perfect images of classicism are born from the contemplation of nature, ennobled by the mind, and nature itself in classical art appears as a purified and transformed reality. Antiquity is the best example of natural art.

In architecture, the trends of classicism made themselves known in the 2nd half of the 16th century in the works of Palladio and Scamozzi, Delorme and Lescaut. Classicism of the 17th century had a number of features. Classicism was distinguished by a rather critical attitude towards the creations of the ancients, which were perceived not as an absolute example, but as a starting point in the value scale of classicism. The masters of classicism set as their goal to learn the lessons of the ancients, but not in order to imitate them, but in order to surpass them.

Another feature is a close connection with others artistic directions, primarily with Baroque.

For classicism architecture special meaning have such qualities as simplicity, proportionality, tectonics, regularity of facade and volumetric-spatial composition, the search for proportions that are pleasing to the eye and the integrity of the architectural image, expressed in the visual harmony of all its parts. In the 1st half of the 17th century, classicist and rationalist mindsets were reflected in a number of buildings by Desbros and Lemercier. In the second half of the 1630s-1650s, the inclination towards geometric clarity and integrity of architectural volumes and closed silhouette intensified. The period is characterized by a more moderate use and uniform distribution of decorative elements, awareness of the independent significance of the free plane of the wall. These trends emerged in the secular buildings of Mansar.

Nature and landscape art became an organic part of classicist architecture. Nature acts as a material from which the human mind can create correct forms, architectural in appearance, mathematical in essence. The main exponent of these ideas is Le Nôtre.

In the fine arts, the values ​​and rules of classicism were outwardly expressed in the requirement for clarity of plastic form and ideal balance of composition. This gave priority linear perspective and drawing as the main means of identifying the structure and the “idea” of the work embedded in it.

Classicism penetrated not only into the sculpture and architecture of France, but also into italian art.

Public monuments became widespread in the era of classicism; they gave sculptors the opportunity to idealize military valor and the wisdom of statesmen. Fidelity to the ancient model required sculptors to depict models naked, which conflicted with accepted moral norms.

Private customers of the classic era preferred to perpetuate their names in tombstones. The popularity of this sculptural form contributed to the arrangement of public cemeteries in the main cities of Europe. In accordance with the classicist ideal, figures on tombstones are usually in a state of deep repose. The sculpture of classicism is generally alien to sudden movements and external manifestations of emotions such as anger.

Late, Empire classicism, represented primarily by the prolific Danish sculptor Thorvaldsen, is imbued with a dryish pathos. Purity of lines, restraint of gestures, and dispassionate expressions are especially valued. In choosing role models, the emphasis shifts from Hellenism to the archaic period. Come into fashion religious images, which, in Thorvaldsen’s interpretation, produce a somewhat chilling impression on the viewer. Tombstone sculpture of late classicism often bears a slight touch of sentimentality


4. Music and classicism


Classicism in music was formed in the 18th century on the basis of the same set of philosophical and aesthetic ideas as classicism in literature, architecture, sculpture and the visual arts. No ancient images were preserved in music; the formation of classicism in music occurred without any support.

The brightest representatives of classicism are the composers of the Vienna Classical School Joseph Haydn, Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart and Ludwig van Beethoven. Their art admires the perfection of compositional technique, the humanistic orientation of creativity and desire, especially noticeable in the music of V.A. Mozart, to display perfect beauty through music. The very concept of the Vienna Classical School arose shortly after the death of L. Van Beethoven. Classical art is distinguished by a delicate balance between feelings and reason, form and content. The music of the Renaissance reflected the spirit and breath of its era; in the Baroque era, the subject of display in music was the human condition; the music of the Classical era glorifies the actions and deeds of man, the emotions and feelings he experiences, the attentive and holistic human mind.

A new bourgeoisie is developing musical culture with its characteristic private salons, concerts and opera performances, open to any public, a faceless audience, publishing activities and music criticism. In this new culture the musician has to defend his position as an independent artist.

The heyday of Classicism began in the 80s of the eighteenth century. In 1781, J. Haydn created several innovative works, including his String Quartet op. 33; The premiere of V.A.’s opera is taking place. Mozart's "The Abduction from the Seraglio"; F. Schiller's drama "The Robbers" and "Criticism" are published pure reason» I. Kant.

In the era of Classicism, music is understood as a supra-national art, a kind of universal language understandable to everyone. Arises new idea about the self-sufficiency of music, which not only describes nature, entertains and educates, but is also capable of expressing true humanity using a simple and understandable metaphorical language.

Tone musical language changes from sublimely serious, somewhat gloomy, to more optimistic and joyful. For the first time the basis musical composition the melody and dramatic contrasting development become imaginative, free from empty bombast, and are embodied in sonata form, based on the opposition of the main musical themes. The sonata form predominates in many works of this period, including sonatas, trios, quartets, quintets, symphonies, which at first did not have strict boundaries with chamber music, and three-part concerts, mostly piano and violin. New genres are developing - divertissement, serenade and cassation.


Conclusion

classicism art literature music

In this work, I examined the art of the Classical era. When writing the work, I read many articles touching on the topic of classicism, and I also looked at many photographs depicting paintings, sculptures, and architectural structures of the classicism era.

I believe that the material I have provided is sufficient for a general understanding of this issue. It seems to me that to develop a broader knowledge of classicism it is necessary to visit museums fine arts, listen musical works of that time and familiarize yourself with at least 2-3 literary works. Visiting museums will allow you to feel the spirit of the era much more deeply, to experience those feelings and emotions that the authors and the ends of the works tried to convey to us.


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