Traditions of Copying in the Imperial Academy of Arts

Abstract

The article describes the essence of the subject of “Copying”, which was presented in the curriculum of the Imperial Academy of Arts right from the day of its opening. The Academy pursued objectives that were aimed at the achievement of excellence and quality of the works of art, in a relatively short period, by the example of those created in the French and Roman Academies of Fine Arts. It is proved that the copying system was introduced at the Academy not only as a discipline that would help young painters master their technical skills and hold a “conversation with the old master”, but it also represented a “translation” of the old masters’ language into the modern language of painting. The technical perfection during the process of copying allowed many artists to reveal their talent and create great masterpieces of the Russian painting. The article uses the analytical, comparative, and diachronic research methods.