СЮЖЕТ «РІЗДВО ХРИСТОВЕ» В УКРАЇНСЬКОМУ МИСТЕЦТВІ СЕРЕДНЬОВІЧЧЯ: ІКОНОГРАФІЯ ТА СИМВОЛІКА ОБРАЗУ

Abstract

The purpose of the article is to analyze the iconography, to reveal the ideological-conceptual and artistic-stylistic features of the theme of Christmas in the medieval art of Ukraine. The research methodology was based on the art critical and general scientific methods. In the course of studying the sources, the methods of systematization, historical-comparative analysis and typology were used. In the analysis of iconographic material, the methods of formal analysis, iconography, iconology and comparative studies were applied. The paper provides the analysis of the set of preserved iconographic artifacts and engravings from museum and private collections, iconostases of the churches of Ukraine and Poland; substantiates the authenticity of the iconography of Christmas in the Ukrainian art which was created on the verge of Eastern and Western traditions; analyses the artistic-stylistic features of Ukrainian icons featuring Christmas of the 15th - early 16th century. The scientific novelty of the work lies in the fact that, for the first time in Ukrainian art criticism, the central object of research is the theme of Christmas, which has a deep religious-symbolic sense. Conclusions. It was found that in Christmas icons of this period the painters used the principle of overlaying composition and favored high skyline. In general, the icons were characterized by planar space interpretation using the laws of reflexive perspective. The light source in the icons was not defined; the canonical symbolism of colors was saved. The authors traditionally applied the successive method of portrayal. Under the influence of the European art, the Ukrainian icon-painting developed the independent iconography of Christmas with the worshipping of the Three Wise Men.