Foreigners’ perception of Russian artwork in the 16th–17th centuries

Abstract

The article considers general approaches to the perception of Russian artwork by foreigners in medieval Russia from the end of the 15th to the 17th century. The establishment of a unified Russian state made ways for establishing various contacts with European countries. Representatives of different countries who came from Europe to Russia on various missions formed their own idea of the unfamiliar state, including its artistic culture. Artwork rarely came to the attention of travelers, who, due to the difference of religion, were usually not allowed into Orthodox churches. As a result, stable stereotypes were formed about the low artistic quality of icons and about the attitude of Russians to them as objects of pagan worship. Only a few of travelers, who got direct access to the best works and relevant explanations, could appreciate the artistic merits of icons as works of art. Along with icons, according to the testimony of foreign authors, since the end of the 15th century, portrait images also began to come into use. Despite the different foundations and traditions of ancient Russian and European art, the close interaction of the countries inevitably led to a common understanding of the tasks and forms of artistic work.