Artistic center of painters in Lviv of the Eighteenth Century: specifics of formation and functioning

Abstract

Based on the analyzed scientific works of domestic and Polish researchers related to the subject of this research, employing general scientific methods of analysis and synthesis, methods of generalization and system-structural analysis, comparative-historical and problem-thematic approaches, as well as descriptive and historical-chronological methods, the issue of the development, formation, and functioning of the Lviv artistic center, specifically the milieu of Lviv painters in the 18th century, has been addressed. The foundation for the future art center was laid by the arrival of foreign masters, mainly from Italy, southern Germany, and Moravia, in Lviv in the 1930s and 1940s. Regarding the specifics of the formation and consolidation of the Lviv Artistic Center, this primarily occurred through the establishment of professional and familial friendships among artists. The strengthening of these bonds involved attending each other's religious and family celebrations, such as baptisms or weddings. Not only the artists themselves but also their wives, sisters, brothers, and adult children were invited to be witnesses. The establishment of these mutual contacts had a positive impact on safeguarding the personal interests of artists and their families. Concerning the functioning of the artistic environment, it was based on the collaboration among artists. The article addresses the question of the method of professional interaction among artists, the majority of whom, by the second half of the 18th century, were working in a "collaborative" manner, even though the activities of workshops were still ongoing at that time, exerting a significant influence on the artistic life of Lviv during that period. This situation contributed to the emergence of numerous confrontations and conflicts between guilds and independent artists. The article also sheds light on the issue of the social status and public activities of artists, which involved serving in government positions within the only governing body available to craftsmen and artists - the Collegium of Forty Men - where they carried out the duties of a warden or shopkeeper. Among such government officials, there is a significant number of painters who were engaged in the authorities of the suburbs or the city of Lviv. Additionally, based on the analysis of research conducted by domestic and Polish scholars, the article attempts to supplement and systematize the lists of Lviv artists who were active during that period, particularly painters, with previously unknown names. This provides us with a broader perspective on the issues related to the formation and functioning of the Lviv Art Center in the 18th century. The undertaken work offers a deeper understanding of the complex processes that unfolded in the cultural and artistic life of Lviv in the 18th century.