The article examines the problem of the artistic evolution of the image of the city in Chinese fine art. The focus of the authors’ attention is the study of the main stages of the development of the urban landscape genre. The purpose of the article is the analysis of the main stages of the development of the urban landscape genre in Chinese art, as well as the study of its structural formalization and the formation of the repertoire from the Middle Ages to the early modern period. The subject of the research is Chinese art history discourse. The works of Chinese fine art of historical periods were used. The authors found out that the development of the urban landscape genre is connected with the general evolution of the Chinese cultural tradition and its visual forms. They are a constant factor influencing the formation of visual tradition. The article defines two stages of development of the urban landscape genre paradigm. The first continues from the time of the emergence of permanent pictorial forms (X century). Later, during the period of the Song dynasty (XII–XIII centuries) and the period of the Ming dynasty (XIV–XVII centuries), visual culture involved the urban landscape and urban everyday practices in the general artistic space of painting. In the context of the evolution of art during the Qing dynasty (XVII–XIX centuries), the urban landscape is represented for the first time with the help of genre features. According to the authors, these signs should be presented in the form of a combination of three components: 1) urban architectural landscape; 2) representations of typical models of urban life; 3) reproduction of typical city "cultural heroes". The authors prove that the evolution of the urban landscape genre at various stages of development is connected with the processes of self-awareness of Chinese art and the determination of the forms of its identity.

Eastern Halychyna has always been a territory on the border between the cultural paradigms of the East and the West. At the end of the 19th - the first third of the 20th cen. this region became the center of the multicultural environment formation, where certain typological groups of anthropomorphic images were determined at the regional-provincial level. It was reflected in monumental art, in particular temple murals, stained glass and mosaics, as well as architectural decor and monumental sculptural plastic, such as monuments and plastic tombstones. The subject of this research is the characteristic features of the images of the Human in the interiors, exteriors and spatial environment of the cities, towns and villages of Eastern Halychyna of the Early 20th century. The relevance of this topic arises from the fact that, as a result of long-term silence, concealment and destruction, the artifacts of the outlined period have been introduced into scientific circulation only in the last three decades and require not only a final description and fixation, but also analysis and systematization, which have not yet been fully carried out. At the same time, the monumental art of that time developed on the basis of art synthesis, therefore there is actually a need to outline certain pictorial typological groups for their classification and more detailed study. The research method is the classification of the most characteristic images, taking into account the philosophical and aesthetic principles of contemporary anthropomorphic imagery and the artistic and stylistic features of the work of artists of the specified period. Main scientific issue is in the circulation and research of several little-known works of monumental art of Eastern Halychyna of the first third of the 20th cen. and the formation of several typological groups of human images as proposal for their classification. It is based on the analysis of the largest and most representative examples of the monumental art of Eastern Halychyna in sculpture and painting of that time. In conclusion three large typological groups were formed: biblical-mythological, historical (national)-symbolic and symbolic-impersonal images in the monumental art of Eastern Halychyna of the Early 20th century.

Based on the collection of graphic works stored in the funds of the Lviv National Gallery of Art named after Borys Voznytskyi, the article examines the creative work of Mykhailo Boichuk's pupils, artists Antonina Ivanova and Mykhailo Lezviev. In addition to graphic works, photographs from the gallery's archive are used to trace Ivanova's participation in the creation of monumental murals in Odesa together with Mykhailo Boychuk and other artists, and to reveal the participation of Lezviev and Ivanova, together with Leonid Molodozhanyn (the future Leo Mol), in the creation of frescoes and sculptures of monumental buildings in Nalchik in the 1930s. Analysing the artists' graphics, the author draws parallels in the formation of the artists' creative method, focuses on the continuation of the conceptual foundations defined by Mykhailo Boichuk in their work – an appeal to folk art, archaic forms, and national traditions. The author emphasises the holistic and generalised nature of compositional solutions in the works of both artists, which are considered in the context of general socio-cultural trends of the first half of the twentieth century. The difference between the artists' creative style and the programmatic officialdom of the 1930s is pointed out, which affected the life of these artists: they suffered from political repression. Drawing a comparison between the graphic works of A. Ivanova and M. Lezviev, the author emphasises the commonality of expressive means, which are characterised by laconicism, poster-like, flat images, and a tendency to monumentality. Sacred motifs are present in the symbolism and semantics of some of the works, and elements of Christian iconography can be found in the compositional schemes. The themes of love and family harmony acquire a deep generalisation in the artists' works. The introduction of the works of Antonina Ivanova and Mykhailo Lezviyev as a creative tandem into scientific circulation allows us to present Boichukism as a phenomenon in Ukrainian fine art and the significant influence of this artistic movement outside Ukraine.

Leopold Levytskyy painting of the 1930-th as a part of his painting heritage placed in the Andrey Sheptytsky National Museum of Lviv collection was the main objective of this study. It was marked that he started his education in Krakiv academy of arts at the department of sculpture, starting the third year studied graphic technics, but finished it as a painter. The analyses of genre structure of the collection revealed that it consists of portraits, landscapes, abstractive and genre compositions. Portraits were painted during his staying in Chortkiv. Special attention that was paid to the remarkable self-portrait dated 1935 was caused by it declarative inside idea. In the process of study it was reveal not only preserved art pieces from the museum collection, but also objects that are known through reminiscences and archive documents. Analyzed landscape compositions exposed deep interest of the artist in creating generalized images of cities, towns or villages. Also it was made conclusion that some paintings have controversial dating, but it was stressed that there is not enough objective information for making changing in dating. The results of analyses of abstractive colorful compositions exposed artist’s great enthusiasm in plastic experiments, that was inspired with his interest in non-objective art. As in the case of portraits also it was studied examples of genre painting which are known only from archive photos and descriptions. Obtain results helped to make a comparison between artists graphic of the 1930-th and art pieces of the next periods and uncover several matters, scenes or narratives and compositional methods that could be treated as typical for creative heritage of the master. Analytical interpretation of combining such scenes as “wood-cutters”, “women with a pail”, “cow with a calf” in the same painting composition as “Working day” allowed to make a conclusion that this art piece is of a program importance in artist’s heritage.

The article examines the artistic and pedagogical achievements of modern Rivne artist Vira Chernienko, which is the first attempt of generalization of the factual material of this problem in Ukraine. The stages of her professional development are outlined, in particular a list of international and all-Ukrainian art events, in which she participated and also it is provided the information about her personal art exhibitions. It is indicated that the art of Vira Andriivna is one of the manifestations of the modern process of promoting ceramic in the spheres of fine art. It is shown, that the artist is extremely approaching to the realization of fine art tasks, because her works have a quite decorative, abstract character, on the first plan of which come out refined tonal and color comparisons, as well as textured effects. It is revealed Vira Chernienko’s gradual distancing from image-thematic and compositional-stylistic stereotypes of the past in interpretations of female images. It is emphasized, that their femininity reveals through passion, sensuality and sexuality. At the same time they are independent, have the potential of a powerful life-giving force. It creates the image of woman as the bosom of nature – the symbol of the fullness of human being. It has been investigated, that her artistic activity Vira Chernienko combines with pedagogical, because more than 20 years she has realized herself effectively as a teacher of the department of fine and decorative art in Rivne State Humanitarian University. A number of students’ diploma theses, which are made under her leadership as a ceramic artist, is described. They attest the influence of Vira Chernienko’s school, namely the ability to reveal the latent artistic potential of ceramic, as well as the ability to create artistic images, which go out of the scope of decorative exploitation and belong to the high fine art. It is emphasized, that perfect dominions of a wide spectrum of artistic possibilities of ceramic in combination with a deep interpretation of the surrounding reality and proper implementation of the tasks of the higher school of professional training of specialists in fine and decorative applied art create the effect of synergy of Vira Chernienko’s creativity.

This study aims to identify and analyse the influencing factors on the processes of diffusion between fashion and politics as well as to determine forms and methods of their interaction which now appear to emerge as a separate topic for scientific research (e.g. aestheticism within political life and political dimension of the fashion itself). On the basis of an interdisciplinary approach, politics and fashion are comprehensively analyzed as two important social regulators. This analysis uses historical sources, theoretical and methodological developments of Ukrainian and foreign scientists who studied the process of diffusion between fashion and politics. Such processes of diffusion were identified and considered accordingly within the most significant factors of influence: politics is the dictator of fashion; fashion is a symbol of a political movement; political leaders are dictators of fashion; fashion is the language and weapon of fashion designers. A comprehensive analysis showed that over the centuries in all contries of the world fashion performed the role of an identifier of the social stratification of society, was an indicator of social status, a reflection of political processes. Fashion is considered as an ideological imagery of a political movement and a symbol of the idea represented by an image. Also, functions of fashionable symbols have been revealed. It was determined that national revolutionary movements and wars influence fashion innovations, in particular, the development of patriotic clothing style (national clothing style; revolutionary fashion; military fashion). The process of diffusion is considered based on the analysis of the visual image of political leaders. It has been determined that the visual image plays an important role in the formation of the image of the state, as it is shaped within the consciousness of society and with the help of associative connection. Fashion also plays an important role in the evolution of political identities. Conceptual presentations of fashion collections have been proven to be a spectacular and an effective form of diffusion between fashion and politics. Such shows present a scenographic character of protest and manifest and are powerful and effective in influencing collective political consciousness of a society. Since the visuality is a priority in postmodern culture, one of the relevant topics for further research will be the issue of design and fashion in the field of political imagelogy of the post-war period in Ukraine, which will also encompass topics on development strategies and methods as well as influencing factors and effective tools.

Conservation of cultural property has been defined as all actions aimed at safeguarding cultural property for the future in order to study, record, retain and restore the culturally significant qualities of the object, site or building with the least possible intervention. Architectural conservation constitutes actions that address the repair, restoration, maintenance and display of historic buildings, enclaves of buildings and sites, as well as their associated accoutrements, such as furnishings and fittings. These actions whether conducted on individual buildings or groups of buildings represent investments in the future of such sites. Such regenerative action at historic buildings and sites usually increases values of adjacent properties and local economic conditions as well. Architectural conservation is widely regarded as the predominant activity within the larger and more diverse field of cultural heritage conservation, which is also referred to as cultural heritage (or resource) management. This field is concerned with the documentation and preservation of all forms of human culture, including tangible artifacts such as architecture, archaeological sites, cultural landscapes, arts and crafts, and other objects of material culture. Architectural restoration and rehabilitation offers new practical, educational and growth stimulus possibilities. In addition, cultural heritage conservation addresses intangible manifestations of human activity, including existing manners and customs (folkways); spiritual practices; and musical, craft and cuisine traditions of indigenous populations, all of which are considered living heritage. The general purview of heritage conservation practice is ever expanding which makes the field both dynamic and open to new participants who bring fresh talent and perspectives to the task. As organized heritage conservation practice expands with each passing year formerly disparate facts and representations of history take on new meaning and significance. In relation to this, both cultural and economic values at heritage sites constantly change. Changes posed by nature and humans on physical cultural heritage ensure constant change as well.

Basing the information of the metric books from the church of the Assumption of the Virgin in Imst (Austria) the Hartmann Witwer date of birth – 22 December 1776 – was specified. Special gratitude is paid to Josef Mair for his assistance in catching out this document that is published for the first time. It was proofed that “Hartmann Witwer” is a true name and surname of sculptor from Austria, who worked in Lviv at the beginning of the XIX century. It was studied out that H. Witwer didn’t have second name as his father Joseph Anton Witwer or his brother Johann Michael Witwer. Using mathematic calculation the mistakes in Lviv documents fixed the date of sculptors’ death as 1825 was find out. The found certificate verified relationship of Hartmann Witwer and Witwer sculptors dynasty from Imst. For the first time it was revealed that Hartmann Witwer was a younger brother of Johann Michael Witwer, and he was not his elder brother or they were not twins as it was considered before. History of Witwers’ artistic family from Imst, members of which during more than one hundred years were making sculptures in the atelier that was inherited from father to son was studied. Directions of sculptural activity of H. Witwers’ grandfathers in the period of their activity and the areal of spreading their works were outlined. Artistic peculiarities of art pieces of the prominent representatives of the family were highlighted. Provably reasons which caused the end of the sculptor dynasty were analyzed in the article. Basing on the special features of the creative process in the family atelier in Imst the hypothesis of principles of cooperation between Hartmann and his brother Johann Michael Witwer in Lviv was proposed.

The creative work of the famous Ukrainian artist Oleh Denysenko has been repeatedly recognized abroad and in Ukraine by both representatives of artistic circles and collectors. For the entire period of his artistic practice, no thorough research of his work and experimental searches in graphics has been made, nor has the artist's creative style and graphic language been described. The artist's work was mentioned in some articles, superficially revealed in studies of the creative work of representatives of the Lviv graphic school working in certain graphic techniques and trends. The figure of O. Denysenko has long occupied a significant place among the representatives of Ukrainian printmaking and graphics. This is the case when the artist and his work are more recognized abroad than in Ukraine. Denysenko is a representative of artistic techniques that have existed for more than five centuries, who is not afraid to improve, experiment, and make new searches for graphic embodiment of images and philosophical considerations. The article explores artistic practices and experiments in graphics on the example of the series of graphic works «ecoline». Attention is drawn to the process of searching for new images, methods and visual techniques, as well as to the means of revealing artistic expression. An overview of the stylization, expressiveness of the graphic language and individual manner is given. The possibility of further studying the transformation of graphic images in other techniques and plot compositions is considered. The basis of experimental searches, the emergence of figurative and symbolic interpretations, and the author's innovations are revealed.

The purpose of the article is the study of formal connections in the pictorial system of modern Chinese painting. The authors focus on the analysis of the types of form representation. This makes the question of finding correspondence between artistic forms and reality, which is generalized with the help of figurative author's artistic language, urgent. As a subject of research, the mentioned problem is relevant for modern art studies. The authors show that the concept of "formal language" attracts considerable attention in contemporary Chinese art studies. This proves the importance of the study of formal connections for the analysis of both traditional art practices and for innovative artistic searches. Form as a component of the language of modern painting is represented using pictorial principles, which in the context of the conceptual categories of Chinese art history can be summarized within two interrelated groups, namely: expression and aestheticization of form. The first group unites structural questions, which are mostly related in one way or another to the interpretation of the technical features of oil painting. Within the limits of the second group, the issues of figurative (or, according to the terminology used in Chinese art history – spiritual) foundations of the representation of the image are considered. The authors concluded that in modern Chinese oil painting, form as a pictorial principle relies on the imitative nature of artistic generalization. Form as a pictorial principle is connected with the possibility for the artist to "appropriate" certain aspects of reality, to make their generalization his own point of view on the world. Within modern Chinese painting, the imitative form has a reflexive status, which is confirmed by a number of transformations in the oil technique. In Chinese painting, this principle has a direct reference to traditional artistic practice.