Artistic Merit Research Articles

«Драгоценный подарок дорогому другу» (блюдо, поднесенное французскому президенту Э. Лубе от города Москвы)

The paper addresses a unique monument of political rapprochement between Russia and France at the end of the 19th – beginning of the 20th century — a silver dish presented by the city of Moscow to the French President Emil Loubet during his visit to Russia in 1902. Along with its memorial and historical significance, the dish has outstanding artistic merits. The second half of the 19th – early 20th centuries is rightly considered the period of the highest rise of domestic jewelry art, its triumphant entry into the international art market. The works of Russian silverware masters of this time combined the highest technical and artistic level of execution. The involvement of professional artists in the production of such goods greatly contributed to the latter. A vivid example of this is the dish under study. It was made at the Ovchinnikov`s firm — one of the most famous domestic gold-silver enterprises — according to the sketch of V.M.Vasnetsov. The study provides a detailed art history analysis of this work, drawing on documentary and material sources. It also examines a number of other works by V.M.Vasnetsov, which not only allowed for a detailed examination of a little-studied page in the work of a famous Russian artist but also identified a number of trends characteristic of the entire decorative arts of the period under review.

Composer Diversity in State Music Lists: An Exploratory Analysis

The selection of repertoire is a critical component of ensemble music, especially in educational contexts. Accredited music education systems often rely on required, recommended, or prescribed music lists to assist in these selections. Nonetheless, previous content analyses have primarily focused on questions of creative quality, artistic merit, and educational appropriateness while overlooking crucial demographic factors such as gender identity, ethnicity, race, and vital status of included composers. I examined gender and ethnic diversity within wind band repertoire lists from 10 states representing five geographical regions. The lists contained 17,281 total works by 1,221 identifiable composers, predominately White (92.63%) and male (95.58%). K-means clustering revealed two unequal composer groups, with the smaller, predominantly White and male subgroup accounting for 40.82% of works and a high per capita representation across lists. Principal components analysis showed composer ethnicity, gender, and vital status interrelated across data dimensions. Despite latent list differences, composer diversity across and within lists was extremely limited. If ensemble directors are to meaningfully engage in diversifying the repertoire their students perform, expanding beyond the existing collection of predominantly White and male composers is a necessity.

Perlindungan Kekayaan Intelektual Batik Tradisional Dalam Perspektif Hukum

Batik is a culturally significant craft with considerable artistic merit that has permeated Indonesia. Batik featuring traditional motifs is thus a significant cultural artifact of Indonesia. Therefore, batik must be safeguarded, maintained, and its growth must be encouraged. The copyright for this batik art, which has been practiced for generations as part of a traditional culture, shall be owned by the state in accordance with Article 10, paragraph 2 of Law No. 19 of 2002 on Copyright. Nevertheless, this legislation has proven inadequate in safeguarding the intellectual property rights of conventional batik motifs during its execution. This research approach is based on an empirical legal methodology. The research findings indicate that Surakarta Kraton batik is categorized as one of the craft arts that has effectively rejuvenated its motifs, techniques, and applications, thereby ensuring its continued existence. Consequently, special protection is required, with the purpose of safeguarding traditional cultural expressions in order to prevent their extinction and preserve cultural heritage. Sui generis IPR protection is intended to safeguard folklore by ensuring that its philosophical, symbolic, theological, and sacrosanct values remain intact.

Sondheim at the disco

Songs from Stephen Sondheim’s musicals have occasionally left the theatre to circulate through popular culture – and, in some unusual instances, they have even made their way to the dance floor. This article examines three disco adaptations of Sondheim show tunes: ‘Send in the Clowns’ by Grace Jones, ‘The Ballad of Sweeney Todd’ by Gordon Grody and ‘Losing My Mind’ by Liza Minnelli. Informed by histories of queerness and cultural production, the author interprets these dance tracks as reflections of queer life in the 1970s and 1980s, from gay liberation and radically camp exuberance to the homophobic ‘disco sucks’ backlash and the devastation of AIDS. While casting a critical eye on the artistic merit of these cover versions, the article argues that taking Sondheim from the Broadway stage to the discotheque can create new understandings of the meaning and social significance of a great songwriter’s work.

The Dunhuang Caves: Showcasing the Artistic Development and Social Interactions of Chinese Buddhism between the 4th and the 14th Centuries

The Dunhuang Caves, situated in China's Gansu Province, are renowned globally for their significant collection of murals, sculptures, architecture, and ancient Buddhist manuscripts. These caves, established along the historic Silk Road, encapsulate a rich tapestry of cultural exchange and artistic evolution spanning from the 4th to the 14th centuries. Comprising sites like the Mogao Caves and the Yulin Caves, they not only stand as reservoirs of ancient Buddhist art but also highlight intersections between Buddhism and neighboring Central Asian and Chinese cultures. The evolution of the Dunhuang Caves' art is segmented into periods mirroring Chinese dynasties, showcasing diverse influences from various regions, marking the journey from purely religious symbols to a more secularized and inclusive representation. Concurrently, the Caves mirror the secularization trajectory of Buddhism in China. Beyond their artistic merit, the Dunhuang Caves played a pivotal role socially, reflecting the intertwined relationships between Buddhism, society, and the Chinese ruling elite. As Buddhism assimilated into Chinese life, its representation in the Dunhuang Caves evolved, ultimately serving both spiritual and political purposes. This study delves into the artistic progression and the multifaceted social implications of the Dunhuang Caves' existence.

Art master Yulia Gusarova is an artist of multifaceted talent

The article contains materials about the work of St. Petersburg artist Yulia Vasilievna Gusarova, a master who creates works in different materials and techniques and has her own theme, manner and style. The purpose of the article is to determine the foundations and nature of creativity, to track the dynamics of the personal development of a hereditary artist. She is multi-faceted and is successfully realized in the art of painting, in mosaics, in ceramics, in textiles, in scientific and pedagogical activities. The main themes of her work: stories from the history of culture and art, travel impressions, the world of the sea and marine life, the fantastic world of the medieval "bestiary" and modern technology. The article presents examples of her works, describes their semantic content and artistic merits, notes theoretical and methodological-pedagogical aspects of the problems of art and art education. The materials of the article have novelty, because they are offered for publication for the first time. There was no scientific study of Y. Gusarova's creativity in domestic and foreign art criticism. The results and research methods in this article can be useful in art criticism for use in writing monographic works about the work of other artists, as well as for creating a complete picture of the features of the work of domestic ceramic artists of the XX - XXI centuries.

Русские песни в путевом дневнике И.А. Гончарова «Фрегат “Паллада”»

In the travel diary “Frigate “Pallada”, in the chapter “On the Cape of Good Hope” I.A. Goncharov mentions many Russian songs: author’s and folk songs, romances of various artistic merit, and even an opera aria. Together with the owners of guest houses — the British — travelers sing Scottish and English romances and ballads, once they witness an African “ball”, but still it is the Russian song that accompanies Goncharov and his companions on a trip to South Africa. The article provides the texts of Russian songs that are missing in the narrative (they are only named), and their function is established. During the trip and writing the diary “Frigate “Pallada” Goncharov worked on the novel “Oblomov”, at the same time the Crimean War, tragic for Russia, was going on — these facts helped to make some interesting observations on the functionality of Russian songs. The repertoire of songs that sound during a journey through the Cape Colony of England is thoughtful, and it not only reflects the mood of travelers at one time or another, but also represents the image of Russia, responds to the military situation in the Crimea.

Художественная эстетика социалистического реализма в творчестве Ж. Залиханова

The research aims to substantiate the positive influence of the aesthetics of socialist realism on the creative work of the Balkar writer Zh. Zh. Zalikhanov (1917-1996), who was at the forefront of the development of written literature in the native language. The paper examines the main methodological principles of the aesthetics of socialist realism: a truthful, historically concrete reflection of reality, the assertion of new socialist ideals and relations aimed at the formation of the literature that is “national in form and socialist in content”. Using Zh. Zh Zalikhanov’s novels “Mountain Eagles”, “Burning Hearts” and “The Baksan Star” as an example, the paper explores the main ways of artistic expression that give the writer’s works national specificity and colouring (images, symbols, signs). Zh. Zh. Zalikhanov’s creative work reflects such principles of the socialist realism method as historicism, artistic truth, national spirit, which are used as means of historical truth (depiction of specific events, biographies of real historical figures), on the one hand, and as ways of reflecting national specifics (anthroponymic and toponymic units, phraseological expressions, proverbs and sayings, etc.), on the other hand. The research is original in that it is the first to examine the aesthetic principles of artistic merit in the creative work of Zh. Zh. Zalikhanov using not only a historical but also a culturological approach to a literary work as a “culture code”. The research findings have shown that the socialist realism method contributed to the development of new means of visual and artistic expression of Soviet literature and the formation of new principles of artistic merit of the literature “national in form and socialist in content”.

Ukraiński ruch filmowy we Lwowie w latach 30. XX wieku


 
 
 Title of the article: The Ukrainian film movement in 1930s Lviv The Ukrainian film movement in the 1930s was not developed on a wider scale. Due to the cost of the equipment and the film, few people could make films. Those who did included the members of the Ukrainian Photographic Society, who had completed specialist film courses. Their achievements included short feature films and documentary films, some of which were of true artistic merit. From the circle of Ukrainian cinematographers, J. Dorosz, S. Kułykiwna, W. Humecki and J. Bochenski deserve mention special. Moreover, the last two film-makers wrote about the necessity of recording Ukrainian cultural heritage; they expressed the need for patriotic, socially useful films. At that time, Ukrainian film criticism also developed in Lviv, In particular, it found expression in two outstanding periodicals published in the Ukrainian language, “Cinema” (1930–1936) and “Light and Shadow” (1933–1939).
 
 

Popular appeal and artistic merit: overcoming the experience good problem in Broadway theater

ABSTRACT Experience goods like Broadway theatre often include an artistic component involving both a personally subjective aesthetic element as well as technical standards and cultural significance that may be challenging for the typical consumer to observe. Some consumers will likely have preferences focused on the aesthetic value while others will be more concerned with artistic merit of the production. This suggests that different consumers may find differing sources of information valuable in determining whether to make a purchase. The wisdom of the masses is likely correlated with the aesthetic element while expert opinions may help distill the larger artistic merit of the work. We examine the impact of favourable reviews by patrons and expert critics on weekly revenues for an unbalanced panel of 276 Broadway productions running for an average of 58 weeks. Results show a positive effect from both patron and critic reviews across the range of productions, with critic reviews serving a similar role to Tony Award wins. Dividing the data into musicals and non-musicals, we find positive significance for patron reviews, reputation of the director, and revival status in revenues for non-musicals while critic reviews and Tony wins are associated with significantly higher weekly revenues for musicals.

Intersections of Multiculturalism, Education, and Identity in 'Entre les Murs’: A Comparative Analysis of Learning Experiences

This scholarly article delves into the intricate layers of the French banlieue film Entre les murs (2008), directed by Laurent Cantet. The article aims to unravel the multifaceted portrayal of banlieue culture and its significance within the cinematic and socio-cultural landscape. It comprehensively analyses the film's narrative, characters, social themes and artistic choices, navigating the complexities of cultural diversity and identity formation within the banlieue context. The film's characters, students, and teachers become focal points for analysis, shedding light on the challenges and possibilities within the education system.
 Further, the article explores the film's cinematic techniques and aesthetics, including its visual style, cinematography, editing, and use of sound and music. The documentary-like approach of the film is examined, considering its impact on the storytelling and the portrayal of authenticity. By analysing the film's artistic choices, this article aims to uncover the subtle nuances and intentional creative decisions that contribute to the film's overall impact.
 Moreover, the article evaluates the critical reception and lasting legacy of Entre les murs. It explores the film's reception among critics and audiences, highlighting its awards, nominations, and influence on subsequent French cinema. It also discusses the film's socio-political relevance and contribution to the discourse on education, multiculturalism and social inequality.
 In addition to drawing upon various scholarly works and theories, the article seeks to place Entre les murs within the broader academic discourse, including areas such as auteur theory, social realism, postcolonial theory, cultural studies and sociological perspectives. Together, these serve to deepen the understanding of the film and its socio-cultural implications.
 Regarding the social context, the article examines the film's position in time-space and the situation of the French educational system in the poor and multicultural neighbourhoods of France. It considers the challenges faced by the education system and explores the plans to address them, contributing to a comprehensive analysis of the film's socio-cultural context.
 In conclusion, this academic article unveils the depths of Entre les murs, shedding light on its portrayal of banlieue realities, the educational system's challenges, and the complexities of multiculturalism and identity. By combining meticulous analysis, scholarly perspectives and an appreciation for the film's artistic merits, this article contributes to the ongoing academic dialogue surrounding the film and its enduring impact on French cinema.

Italian «erudite comedy» in the sociocultural and linguistic context of the 16th century

The Italian «erudite comedy» was an important stage in the development of the Western European theater, a kind of mediator between ancient dramaturgy and the dramaturgy of the New Age, and although its artistic merits are ambiguously assessed, its appearance and flourishing in the era of the formation of the literary Italian language give to the modern researcher a happy opportunity to get acquainted with different registers of the Italian language during this period. Thus, the subject of this article is the development and the peculiarities of the genre of «erudite comedy» in the Central regions, in the North and in the South of Italy in the XVI century. The purpose is to identify the main trends of its formation. The main research methods are the comparative method, the method of linguistic and cultural interpretation and sociolinguistic methods. Earlier comedies often became subject of literary analysis, but were not used as a source useful for sociolinguistic research. The results of the work consist in generalizing existing and obtaining new information about the development of «erudite comedy» in different regions of Italy and can be applied in further sociolinguistic research because to present the linguistic situation of the XVI century in its entirety it is necessary to take into account both its participants and data about them – territorial features, regional characteristics, level of education.

The Norms of Realism and the Case of Non-Traditional Casting

This paper concerns the conditions under which realism is an artistic merit in perceptual narratives, and its consequences for the practice of non-traditional casting. Perceptual narratives are narrative representations that perceptually represent at least some of their contents, and include works of film, television, theatre and opera. On certain construals of the conditions under which realism is an artistic merit in such works, non-traditional casting, however morally merited, is often artistically flawed. I defend an alternative view of the conditions under which realism is an artistic merit in perceptual narratives. I identify the two forms of realism at issue in debates about the artistic merits of non-traditional casting, and identify the artistic norms that determine the conditions under which each constitutes an artistic merit. I argue that, independently of the relation between moral merits and artistic merits, non-traditional casting violates these norms less often than is sometimes assumed. Moreover, in certain circumstances, non-traditional casting affects realism in artistically meritorious ways. I conclude by considering the implications of my view for the practice of whitewashing.

DR. ZOE ANSARI AS A LITERARY REVIEW WRITER

The study aims at presenting Dr. Zeo Ansari as a literary review writer and described his importance in the field of basic criticism. The research deals with the questions of how Dr. Zoe Ansari provided the base of review writing and his own role and place as a literary reviewer. Dr. Zoe Ansari inspired the next generations of Urdu critics and writers through his review writings. He enlarged the canvas of review writing by differentiating between review and literary criticism. Dr. Zoe Ansari describes that a book review is a form of literary criticism in which a book is merely described or analyzed based on content, style, and merit. He is the man in Urdu literature who defined the role and function of a literary reviewer, its artistic merit, and the duty of a reviewer. The readers can use it to find the subject and object approach in his review writing. In a nutshell, we can say that Dr. Zoe Ansari can be considered as a leading figure of Urdu literary review writing, and his literary impacts are still imprinted on the literary reviewers of the current era. Dr. Zoe Ansari is a prominent figure in Urdu review writing. This paper marks the basic trends of review writing of Doctor Zoe Ansari, his merits, and his demerits. In this paper qualitative research has been followed. Literary research, design, and internet sources are consulted.

'Entrance fees': Black youth and access to artistic production in Gqeberha, South Africa


 
 
 The arts sector in South Africa is portrayed as a multiracial, emancipatory and inclusive sector that promises to reduce youth unemployment and to mitigate inequality. In post- apartheid art institutions, artistic merit and perseverance are deemed to be sufficient in order to access the art sector and its market. The paths of individual black artists from poor areas who have succeeded in accessing the institutional art circuit are praised by the media, policymakers and curators. A romanticisation of their efforts is coupled with identifying them as role models for younger generations.
 Despite emphasis on the inclusivity of the art sector and the hailing of successful paths, black artists report a long-standing difficulty in gaining access to, and being fully accredited in, the institutional art circuit. The ambiguity of the art sector, which claims to be inclusive in word but is de facto exclusionary, deeply affects young black artists whose first steps into the art sector are often accompanied by a feeling of uneasiness and bewilderment.
 Drawing on the multivocal accounts of the everyday life of young black artists who work in the field of performance art in Gqeberha, this article unveils the ‘entrance fees’ that black artists have to negotiate in order to access the institutional art circuit, i.e. the obstacles they have to overcome, but also the deals and concessions they have to make in order to build their career and be fully recognised as artists.
 Moreover, the article sheds light on a double invisibility in the performing arts sector: on one side the economic, spatial and reputational obstacles that artists deal with are dismissed as part of the everyday life of individuals coming from marginal areas; on the other side, the performing arts and spaces that young black artists create within alternative or complementary circuits are not considered part of the city’s artistic production.
 
 

Romantic Traditions in Alessandro Longo's Piano Cycles

The object of research in this article is the piano cycles of the Italian composer and pianist Alessandro Longo (1864-1945). The subject of the study is the continuation and development within the framework of this genre of romantic traditions laid down by romantic composers F. Chopin and R. Schumann. Alessandro Longo turned to writing piano cycles throughout his life. These works are distinguished by significant artistic merits. The author of the article examines in detail such aspects of the topic as the creation of the integrity of the cycle on the basis of tonal, figurative-emotional, genre connections between the plays. Within the framework of the suite-type cycle, he reveals the features of programmaticity found in the names of the plays and their arrangement in cycles. Special attention is paid to the analysis of piano cycles of etudes, which are interpreted by Longo not so much as a genre aimed at practicing techniques to improve professional skills, but as a sketch, romantic piano miniature. The author uses an integrated approach, including system-historical and comparative methods of analysis. The basis for the study of the research was the method of musical theoretical analysis, including thematic, stylistic, structural and compositional aspects. The author's significant contribution to the study of the topic lies in the introduction to musicological usage and understanding of a significant layer of Italian musical culture of the late XIX – early XX century. Alessandro Longo's piano cycles, which are in demand in the performing practice of Western European musicians and are of interest for pedagogical practice, are little known to domestic performers and have not been considered in musicology. This publication is the first study of A. Longo's piano cycles in the light of the implementation of romantic trends. As a result of the analysis, the author comes to the conclusion that the piano cycles of the non-sonate type by A. Longo continue the established traditions in the implementation of this genre, which is manifested in the appeal to certain principles of cyclization: tonal logic, genre, tempo, tonal, emotional-figurative connections between the pieces. At the same time, they reveal an identity peculiar to both the Italian national culture as a whole and to this author, which is manifested in melodiousness, melodiousness (including in cycles of sketches), as well as emotional saturation and theatricalization.

Built Offering: On the Conception and Design of the Greek Temple

Abstract The form of the Greek temple responded to multiple purposes, influences and concepts, although one of these, that of offering, deserves more attention than it has received to date. The fundamental status of offering for Greek religion and its societal expression resulted in sanctuaries being choc-a-bloc with all manner of dedications, some of which represented the finest displays of artistic merit, workmanship, materials and cost that could be afforded. Indeed, as is well known, much of the Greek art on view in modern museums originally had the status of offerings made for dedication in sanctuaries. While it is true that some scholars of religion have noted that temples too were offerings, amongst other things, the implications have generally gone unnoticed. After reviewing the various functions of temples, this essay identifies nuances of offering in their plan, size, elevation, architectural elements, ornamentation and quality. This helps us to appreciate temples as cultural manifestations akin to everything else in the sanctuaries. As works of architecture the form of the Greeks’ temples responded to multiple issues (construction, precedent, influences and so on), but now we can see how their visual treatment subtly and yet eloquently reflected their very nature.

Linguistic Deviation on Bilingual Billboard Slogans in Cameroon: A Sociolinguistic Appraisal

The link between linguistic deviation and translation techniques is enshrined in the conventionality of language use and communication. Linguistic deviation occurs when a text ignores conventional norms of a language in order to communicate a certain artistic merit and draw attention to the meaning of the message. The main objective of this paper is to interrogate how translation techniques used on bilingual billboard slogans in Cameroon lead to linguistic deviation and how such deviations affect communication and sociolinguistics. The corpus of this paper is composed of fifteen bilingual billboard slogans purposively selected from different parts of Cameroon. In terms of methodology, the data was collected by taking pictures of billboards and extracting their slogans. A qualitative descriptive method of document analysis was used with the help of Leech’s linguistic deviation theory and Jakobson’s communication functions. Regarding the results, the study identified graphological, semantical, grammatical and lexical deviations on the selected billboards caused by translation techniques like literal, reduction, adaptation, borrowing, discursive creation, amplification and transposition. As a result of linguistic deviation, the messages that were finally conveyed through bilingual billboards looked absurd and sometimes nonsensical. The paper recommends that certified translators should be employed to translate billboard slogans from French to English.

Ivan S. Turgenev’s “Fathers and Sons” in the USA: First Impressions

The article considers the first translation of Ivan S. Turgenevs novel Fathers and Sons8j1; into English, made by the American diplomat Eugene Schuyler and published in the USA in 1867. The Preface reported that the translation was made from the original language, but there are reasons to doubt this. The article presents the opinions of American critics on this issue. In response to their reproaches, Schuyler admitted that he sometimes referred to the French translation published in 1863, but considered this acceptable, since it was carried out by Turgenev himself (together with Louis Viardot). A comparison of some fragments of the two translations allows us to conclude that Schuyler addressed the French version of the novel more often than the Russian one. This is also indicated by the transliteration of proper names, the tracing of some turns and the complete identity of the notes with the French version. Another problem raised in the article concerns the issue of the reception of Fathers and Sons8j1; in Schuylers translation by his compatriots. After the Sketches of a Hunter (a.k.a. A Sportsmans Sketches), which were successful in the United States due to the relevance of the topic of slavery (serfdom) at that time, American readers expected to see urgent problems again in Turgenevs new work. However, instead, what they thought was just a well-made text appeared before them. American critics appreciated the artistic merits of Fathers and Sons, but the realities of Russian life and the complex of problems set forth by the novel turned out to be quite alien to the American audience and did not strike a chord with them.

Fostering Kaisertreue in the Austrian Empire: Literature on the Occasion of the Marriage of Emperor Francis Josef (1854)

This article explores poems devoted to the dynastic festivities of the ruling House of Habsburg as one of the multiple instruments of fostering loyalty and dynastic patriotism, primarily in in-school youth who were regarded as future citizens of the Austrian Empire. The concepts of dynastic patriotism, Kaisertreue (literally, faithfulness to the emperor), Huldigungsschriften (literally, homage writings), the Habsburg myth, pietas Austriaca, and Habsburg propaganda provide the theoretical and methodological basis of the research. The author refers to three poems devoted to the wedding festivities of Emperor Francis Joseph and Elizabeth of Bavaria in 1854. Two of them — one of which is written in Hungarian and the other in German — are examples of the panegyric ode and were authored by schoolteachers. The third one is a moral poem, easy to understand, with a heartwarming storyline. All the three poems in question are quite ordinary in terms of literary and artistic merit. Their choice is motivated by the author’s desire to demonstrate through those Huldigungsschriften her hypothesis that the Habsburg myth which emphasised the virtues and all-encompassing benevolence of the Habsburg rulers was being transmitted in various formats and different languages to in-school youth in the lands of the Austrian monarchy to foster loyalty and dynastic patriotism. Rather than studying the three writings for their literary and artistic merit, the article mainly focuses on discussing this kind of poetry as a historical phenomenon and an instrument of propaganda which was aimed at developing a loyal and faithful population of the polyethnic and multicultural Habsburg Empire.