Estetyka staroruskiej ikony okresu przedmongolskiego

Abstract

The article is a contribution to the treatment of issues related to the aesthetics of early Rus’ icons, i.e. icons dating from the 11th to the 13th century. The questions discussed include, among others, the following: what was the number of icons in use at the time; who were their authors; to what degree did Byzantium influence the domestic tradition, what was icons’ social function and, ultimately, what was their aesthetic function understood in the neo-Platonic sense? The article commences with a review of the attitude of Russian religious philosophers to Old Rus’ artistic tradition, proceeds with an analysis of Russian source texts concerning icons was made, and concludes with an attempt to define the possible significance of icon in the context of Rus’ pre-Mongolian outlook.