Academy Of Fine Arts Research Articles

SCIENTIFIC RESTORATION OF WORKS OF DECORATIVE AND APPLIED ART IN THE SYSTEM OF HIGHER ART EDUCATION

Abstract. The article is devoted to the issues of scientific restoration of works of decorative and applied art in the system of art education at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture. The processes of formation and improvement of the experience of the artist-restorer for the preservation of historical and cultural monuments are defined. The importance of solving the cultural and professional development of the future artist-restorer in the field of restoration of works of decorative and applied art is emphasized. The topic studied by the author raises a number of issues of the methodology of studying works of decorative and applied arts in the research work of future artists-restorers. The purpose of the study is to develop and substantiate basic theoretical know­ledge in the field of research, restoration, conservation and storage of works of decorative and applied arts from metal, ceramics and organic materials. Training of restoration specialists is carried out in various educational and scientific institutions of Ukraine. At the present stage of development of scientific restoration, this industry needs innovative approaches and updating of old methods. Thus, at the National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture you can get a specialty artist-restorer of monumental painting, artist-restorer of sculptures and decorative arts from metal, ceramics, organic materials (fabrics, leather and bone). Restoration occupies the most important place in museum work and combines a set of knowledge and skills that provide storage of works of art made of metal, ceramics and organic materials. Disciplines on the restoration of sculpture and works of decorative and applied art are part of the training of specialists in the specialty «Restoration of works of art» within the acquisition of practical skills in research, restoration, conservation and storage. Training of future artists-restorers in the system of higher professional education taking into account modern requirements of conservation and restoration is based on such principles as scientific, connection of theory with practice should be carried out on authentic monuments — museum exhibits that promotes formation of professional competences, acquisition of professional experience, responsible attitude to historical and cultural monuments. The obtained results deepen the idea of research methods, restoration and conservation of works of decorative and applied arts from metal, ceramics and organic materials. Theoretical provisions are important at the problem-theoretical level, because the training of restorers requires a strong scientific and methodological base.

PARTICULARITY OF ARTWORKS BY VASYL KORCHOVYI VASYL

Abstract. This article explores Vasyl Korchovyi’s artistic heritage, his unparalleled style, and notable manner of working. Vasyl Korchovyi is a Ukrainian sculptor, graduate from National Academy of Fine Arts and Architecture, representative of the Academic school of sculpture creation. This sculptor has not been neglected today and is an often and widely recognizable guest and/or participant of/in numerous exhibitions, art competitions, and sculpture symposiums including the latest one, the Xth Kaniv International Sculptural Symposium (September–October, 2021). Despite that, his artworks have been discussed in a quite occasional and random way in artistic articles and other kind of publications. This is the reason of why this study focuses on the major subjects and gentres used by Korchovyi for his artworks, as well as on his manner and techniques for working with stone. The studу is one of the first-ever attempts to use the art criticism approach to evaluate three sculpture works by Korchovyi: with two of them being complete and one piece still unfinished: the work from the Kaniv sculptural symposium above. First, Altar of Dionysus, an indoor sculpture, carved of sandstone, is discussed. It depicts a bacchante, a woman who holds a bowl and a grapevine, with her hair ingrown in the branches and the two goat heads that flank the composition on both sides; the attributes associated with fer­tility, sweet delight and also with wild Dionysian origin, while calm or even being asleep at the moment. Second sculptural work is the tombstone of Vasyl Korchovyi’s father, Ivan Sobko. For this reason, its design is marked with Korchovyi’s personal feelings and sentiments. The composition of the sandstone-made sculptural part of the tombstone represents an angel with outstretched wings, inscribed in the area of a trefoil cross. The openwork pattern of weaves of winding shoots with remains of leaves in some places adds depth to the background framed with smoothly polished parts of the surface, where the figure of angel is located, and carefully surround the upper part of the medallion with a photo of the deceased one; the composition that brings the feeling of a deep anguish and imminence, the painful emotions to be eventually accepted.

Visualising user–website interaction: description and evaluation of a teaching method

This paper presents a teaching method applied in a usability research course that is part of a bachelor degree programme at the Academy of Fine Arts in Katowice. The method employs visualisation techniques of the user–website interaction, a design practice popular in other fields, but less often used in usability studies. The theoretical background of the data visualisation method, as well as examples of its use in research, are presented and discussed in this paper. In addition to presenting the method, the paper evaluates and analyses how students have responded to it. Using the technology acceptance model, we identified the perceived usability of the method as the main factor influencing students’ behavioural intention to use it in the future.

On challenges of arranging a series of etchings as illustrated by Elena Grazhevskaya’s graduate project supervisor – Alexei Popov, honored artist of Russia and associate member of the Russian academy of arts

The article reveals a number of rules regulating the arrangement of a series of two-dimensional images universal both for works of fine art, as well as photography and design. The authors outline the key principles of creating such a series through a thorough description of the working process behind “The Herbs”, a set of five etchings by Elena Grazhevskaya. The aforementioned project was developed as a graduate qualification work at the Academy of Watercolor and Fine Arts of Sergey Andriaka under the supervision of the Honored Artist of the Russian Federation and Associate Member of the Russian Academy of Arts A. B. Popov. The authors of the article discuss the problem of selecting appropriate composition formats and their subsequent mirroring in relation to the centerpiece of the series at its preliminary sketching stage. The article touches upon the question of proper space composition in symmetrical images, i.e. how to convey a similar depth of couple pieces in the series. The fundamental techniques for working with the tonal color scheme are unveiled, namely the simultaneous portrayal of unity and contrast of lights and shadows in the pieces symmetrical to the central one. Furthermore, the paper addresses how to wisely choose a technique optimal for the type of etchings belonging to the series. The concurrent usage of aquatint and etching stroke technique is justified as it allows one to combine detailed object drawing with decorative aquatint painting as a compositionally organizing element. Likewise, the authors delineate the principles for selecting appropriate printing ink, particularly in the light of the use of a painterly “two-color printing effect” (application of a warm-cold effect of one ink in layers of different thickness). The article will be useful for teachers and students of art schools at all levels of education, photographers and designers, as well as anyone who is interested in creating a series of visual art works.

A New Page of Literati Painting from Singapore and Malaysia: A Study of Chen Wen Hsi and Chung Chen Sun

Abstract In the early twentieth century, Chinese literati painting was embroiled in arguments on the relationship between ancient and modern or east and west. Therefore, the artistic practices of Wu Changshuo, Chen Shizeng, Qi Baishi, Xu Beihong and so on, were in response to this development. However, with the occurrence of World War ii and changes in the post-war situation, literati painting underwent further, new changes in different regions. This article intends to discuss the overseas Chinese painters Chen Wen Hsi and Chung Chen Sun as examples in exploring the new development of literati painting in Singapore and Malaysia in the second half of the twentieth century. Chen Wen Hsi was born in Jieyang County, Guangdong Province in 1906. He studied at Shanghai Fine Arts College and Xinhua Art College. He went to Singapore and held an exhibition in 1948. In 1950, he taught at The Chinese High School, and the following year also began teaching Chinese ink painting at Nanyang Fine Arts College. Chung Chen Sun, a native of Mei County, Guangdong Province, was born in 1935 in Malacca, Malaysia. In 1953, he entered the Department of Art Education of Nanyang Academy of Fine Arts, which was founded by Lim Hak Tai. Chung was inspired by predecessors such as Cheong Soo-pien, Chen Wen Hsi and Chen Chong-swee who had pursued the Nanyang style. In 1967, Chung founded the Malaysian Academy of Art. Their styles of painting not only incorporate the Eastern aesthetics and Western theory but also include diverse elements. Their paintings wrote a new page in the history of literati painting during the Cold War era.

Helena Grabschrift-Taffet, a Krakow artist born in Tuchów

Helena Grabschrift was born on 18 April 1909 in Tuchów. Starting 1929, she studied at the Krakow Academy of Fine Arts, taught by such artists as Władysław Jarocki, Wojciech Weiss and Stanisław Kamocki. In late 1930s she became involved with the Krakow Association of Jewish Painters and Sculptors. She was one of the most active members of the organisation, and made arrangements for the last Krakow exhibitions of the works of Jewish painters before the war. For a long time, nothing was known of her life after the end of the Second World War; she was considered either dead or missing. The author of the present article managed to find sources confirming that the artist had survived the war, and to contact her family in Israel. Consequently, it was possible to add to the artist’s biography many new details from pre-war years, the period of Nazi occupation, as well as her later life in Israel, where she moved with her husband Henryk Taffet. Unfortunately, not much has survived from the artist's pre-war output, therefore the inter-war press remains the most important source of information about her work.

EFFECT OF INDIVIDUALLY-TAILORED TDCS AND SYMBOLIC ART THERAPY FOR CHRONIC ASSOCIATIVE PROSOPAGNOSIA AFTER INFECTION BY SARS-COV-2, NEUROCOVID-19 AND ISCHEMIC STROKE

Background The rehabilitation of patients with chronic prosopagnosia that occurs following a stroke is a challenge for modern medicine. Dysfunction to the facial processing areas is permanent and standard rehabilitation brings only limited improvement. Therefore, therapists suggest reinforcing the compensatory strategies used by such patients such as voice, figure, and gait recognition to help with the identification of a particular person, which promotes their social functioning. New neurotechnologies, especially QEEG/ERPs, displays of functional brain impairment in prosopagnosia, may be helpful in developing an appropriate neurotherapy protocol and create the conditions for other forms of rehabilitation in such patients. The purpose of our study was twofold: 1) to evaluate QEEG/ ERPs shows of post-stroke functional impairment associated with prosopagnosia, 2) to construct a neurofeedback protocol based on these indices to sup- port the neuropsychological rehabilitation of the case study described herein. We present the case of a 23-year-old right-handed student of the Graphics Faculty of the Academy of Fine Arts, with chronic associative prosopagnosia after infection with SARS-CoV-2 followed by Covid-19 and a right hemisphere stroke. He was re- ferred in April 2021 for diagnosis and therapy at the Reintegration and Training Cen- ter of the Polish Neuropsychological Society (PTNeur). Six months earlier, in October 2020, the patient had been admitted to the Infectious Disease Hospital. COVID-19 was diagnosed based on coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) reverse transcrip- tion PCR (RT-PCR) on a nasopharyngeal swab. The neurological examination re- vealed muscle weakness on the left side of the body, slow and aprosodic speech, preserved comprehension, and acute left homonymous hemianopsia, as well as prosopagnosia and mirror symptom. The patient was sedated and mechanically ventilated for six days. The CT-scan showed foci in the posterior part of the superior temporal lobe and hyperintense changes in the blood supply area of the right middle cerebral artery. After 30 days of hospitalization, the patient was discharged from this hospital and referred to an outpatient rehabilitation center for five months. Ther- apy improved his general condition but did not remove the chronic prosopagnosia: a personal tragedy for the patient which prevented him from continuing his studies. He was diagnosed at the PTNeur Reintegration and Training Center within the next few weeks: (1). ophthalmologic examinations revealed no pathology; (2) neuropsy- chological testing confirmed the presence of chronic apperceptive prosopagnosia; (3) examination of event-related potentials (ERPs) revealed a large delay of the N170 wave, particularly on the right side, indicating a slowing of the rate of nerve impulses in early face processing and a cause of prosopagnosia. The patient was referred for rehabilitation: he participated in 20 sessions of individually tailored anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) twice a week for ten weeks, and in parallel, for indi- vidualized Prosopagnosia Symbolic Art Therapy provided once a week for ten weeks. By the end of therapy, the patient was not only recognizing but also painting portraits of faces. He returned to college, finished and defended a master’s thesis in Artistic Drawing, in which facial presentation played an important role. Quantitative EEG (QEEG) and event-related potentials (ERPs) neuromarkers helped to understand the mechanism of prosopagnosia and to choose an individualized protocol, thus the appropriate application of tDCS in our patient, which accelerated the recovery of the ability to perform complex tasks and created the conditions for Symbolic Art Therapy. Modern medicine can successfully use such a management protocol in individuals with chronic prosopagnosia.

Schelling's Activities in the Academy of Fine Arts in Munich

In the Royal Academy of Fine Arts in Munich, F. W. J. Schelling worked as the first General Secretary from 1808 to 1821, and then as the General Curator of scientific collections from 1827 to 1841. If we look at the Academy of Fine Arts and

Life and Art of Teacher and Artist Sergiy Solodovnyk

This article dwells upon the life path and the art of an artist and teacher, professor of Kharkiv Art and Industrial Institute (now Kharkiv State Academy of Design and Fine Arts) – Sergiy Solodovnyk (1915–1991) – my Dad. It is described in what way important events or important meetings with talented people can influence the development of personality, the formation of the artist’s and teacher’s views upon the methods of teaching and drawing and imagery in Arts, also the choice of the subject matter and genre. In artistic creation, both innate personality traits and those acquired in the process of studying the world, through which the artist passes in the process of creating a work of art and his formation as a person, as a lecturer or Teacher, are of great importance. The influence of his personality upon the students of several generations. His great importance in my life as a wise, delicate and caring dad. It is underlined in this article that good, honest deeds, love to people, homeland and to his direction in Art, sensitive attitude to the youth will always find reflection in human souls.

Od pańszczyzny do hipsterstwa. Muzyka ludowa między wsią a miastem. Z Andrzejem Bieńkowskim rozmawia Piotr Grochowski

Andrzej Bieńkowski painter, ethnographer, author of documentary films, professor at the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. Author of the books The Last Country Musicians (2001), The Sold Music (2007) and 1000 Kilometers of Music (2009). Since the 1980s, he and his wife Małgorzata have been conducting ethnographic research, recording and filming rural musicians and singing performances from Poland, Ukraine and Belarus. In 2012, they set up the Muzyka Odnaleziona foundation, which makes their huge archival collections available on CDs as well as on the website www.muzykaodnaleziona.pl and on a YouTube channel. They also implement the Rural Music Archive project (https://archiwummuzykiwiejskiej.pl/), which aims to collect, digitize and make available photographs documenting the musical culture of the countryside.

Badania i konserwacja ikony Św. Jozafat biskup biełogorodzki z rekonstrukcją pozłoty i puncowań

The scientific objective of the research task was the conservation, with full reconstruction, of the icon St. Josaphat, Bishop of Belgorod, and to carry out interdisciplinary research into the iconographer’s workshop. The technological layers were determined, the technique and technology of painting were analyzed, and the reconstruction of the missing elements of the work was documented. Thanks to examinations under the microscope and an analysis of a sample of wood taken from the base, we know that the base is of alder (Alnus). Organoleptic tests and tests with instruments permit the conclusion that the icon was painted using the tempera technique on a chalk-plaster ground (lefkas), on which gildingwas made (a silver-gold flake called a bipedal used in iconic painting since the 14th century) on a red bolus background.The flesh-coloured and red layers of paint contain: lead white with the addition of barite white (?), iron red, organic red, cinnabar and umbrae. The blues were painted by using ultramarine, Prussian blue, organic blue (?), green chromate (a mixture of Prussian blue and yellow chromate – lead chromate). Dr. Katarzyna Wantuch-Jarkiewicz and Dr. Mirosław Wachowiak tested the elemental composition of the paint layers, the composition of the ground and the type of yellows, using the non-invasive XRF method. An analysis based on samples taken from the icon: the stratigraphic structure, the pigments used, the fillers in the plaster and the type of wood in the base, was carried out at the Chair of Specialist Examinations and Documentation Techniques of the Department of Conservation and Restoration of Works of Art of the Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw. The tests were performed by Dr. Anna Nowicka, Dr. Elżbieta Jeżewska and Marek Wróbel. By establishing the icon’s content and the manner of presenting it, we obtain valuable information about the workshop and about the period in which the work was created. The results of our research enhance our knowledge of the iconographer’s workshop and are helpful in attributing similar artworks to a specific workshop and dating them.

Mystery and history: when did Catherine the Great purchase the Lyde Browne collection?

In the original article published in J Hist Collections; doi:10.1093/jhc/fhaa041 there was an error on page 4. The sentence ‘Catherine mentions some bronze casts after the antique sculptures (made in the St Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts in the 1770s or early 1780s from moulds sent from Rome), which were notable in size and colour.’ replaces that reading ‘Catherine mentions some bronze casts after sculptures from the Browne collection (made in the St Petersburg Academy of Fine Arts in the 1770s or early 1780s from moulds sent from Rome), which were notable in size and colour.’ This error has now been corrected online.

New information about the education of architect Robert Marfeld in the context of the influence of European architecture on the formation of the architectural identity of Irkutsk

This article aims to highlight the fact about the influence of European education on the work of the Russian architect with German roots, Robert Marfeld. On the basis of the collected bibliographic and archival materials, his projects and the work of his teacher - the famous Austrian architect Theophil Hansen, who taught a Master class at the Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna, worked with the greatest Austrian architects of the mid-19th century - are studied. In this context, a project of a vocational school in Irkutsk, carried out by Marfeld, is considered. The stylistic features of Marfeld’s architecture, especially in the initial period of creativity, are in many ways similar to the architecture of Hansen and his school. This is also due to the trends in architecture and construction of that period, especially in Germany and the Austro-Hungarian monarchy. Leading Russian architects were educated in Europe. European architects taught in St. Petersburg. Thus, the work of German and Austrian architects in Russia and in Irkutsk played a significant role in the formation of architectural identity, which contains many different characteristics, which was highlighted in previous articles by the authors, but also features inherent in the styles developed by the German and Austrian architectural schools.

Art education in China in the XX century: national traits, international trends, and Russian influence (on the example of the Central Academy of Fine Arts)

The Central Academy of Fine Arts is the only higher education institution of fine arts under the jurisdiction of the Ministry of Education of the People's Republic of China. The history of the National Art School in Beiping dates back to the establishment of the National School of Fine Arts in Beijing in 1918, which was supported by the prominent pedagogue of art and its first director Cai Yuanpei. It was the first national school in the history of China, laid the foundation for the modern Chinese education in the field of fine arts. This article is dedicated to the analysis of the key events of more than a century-long history of the school, which allows tracings the evolution of the Chinese art education, and gives a better perspective on the role of modern China in the art world. The novelty of this work lies consists in description of the process of establishment of art education in China in the XX century, classification of the national traits of this period on the example of the Central Academy of Fine Arts in Beijing, as well as analysis of the Soviet impact upon the Chinese education in the field of art history. The international cooperation with the Russian School of Painting, namely I. E. Repin Academy of Fine Arts had a beneficial impact. The study of Chinese students in the USSR allowed the following generations to implement such valuable experience. The ancient techniques and plotline received a new life in the works of modern artists, which are justifiably regarded as the achievement and progress in the national culture.

The Architecture of the Public Spaces for Art in the Context of the Urban Structure of Munich

The interaction of the public spaces for art with the urban structure of Munich is researched on the basis of mind maps. Three architecturally-town-planning triads belonging to the three various levels were discovered. At the bottom level is the ensemble of the Königsplatz with Propylaea (the central element), Glyptothek and Staatliche Antikensammlungen. At the average level is the mega-ensemble, composed by the Academy of Fine Arts together with Siegestor (the central element), the complex of three Pinakotheks and the Haus der Kunst. At the uppermost level is the «urban triptych», composed by the historical centre of Munich (the central element), the palace and park ensemble of Nimfenburg and the Olympic park. The town-planning forecast concerning the formation of the ensemble of public spaces for art in the northeast quadrant of the city and of the mega-ensemble of public spaces for art in the southwest quadrant of Munich is made.

Cpt. Robert Hofmann, Austrian Artillery Officer and Artist with the Ottomans in World War I

This article investigates the life, artwork, and experiences of Cpt. Robert Hofmann, an Austrian artillery officer and artist who fought with the Ottomans in the Levant from 1917 to 1919 during World War I and its immediate aftermath. His experiences and artwork provide powerful and vivid insight into the life, times, and situations of war in the Middle East. Unlike those of most of his European compatriots fighting with the Ottomans, his work and perspectives were from a distinctly non-Orientalist perspective as he sketched the flora and fauna, cityscapes, landscapes, and people he encountered while in the Ottoman Empire, particularly in the Levant. His attention to detail and captivation by the everyday and mundane without an imperialist or Orientalist gaze begs explanation, particularly since he was a classically trained artist from the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in Vienna. This article asserts that the combination of his own marginalized identity as an assimilated Jewish soldier, his gifted artistic talent, attention to detail, and his direct and sustained experience in the Middle East enabled him to develop a deep sense of empathy and appreciation for the peoples, places, and environments of the Middle East. This enabled him to transcend the bigotry and dehumanizing views of non-Western peoples so prevalent among his compatriots and European powers of the time.

Meltdown at the Academy of Fine Arts: The Role of Teachers’ Emotional Sensemaking in Planned Change

Schools are characterized by nearly constant internal and external demands to change, grow, and improve. Past research has found that the way educators “make sense” of what they are being asked to do bears on the effectiveness of reforms and the way changes are implemented in practice. Much of this past work takes a cognitive approach to sensemaking, but teachers’ emotional responses also considerably shape how they make sense of novel situations. This teaching case explores the leadership challenges associated with a planned change initiative at a small arts-focused school, and the way that teachers’ emotional responses superseded resources and supports for the change.

Museum heritage and artistic education in Italy around 1882: the separation of art galleries from the academies of Fine Arts

En 1882, un décret royal du Royaume d’Italie a retiré aux académies des Beaux-Arts la gestion des pinacothèques historiques, qui sont devenues des instituts autonomes, dépendant directement du ministère de l’Instruction publique. Bien qu’essentiellement administrative, cette importante séparation signe officiellement un changement dans la relation entre l’art du passé et l’éducation artistique, qui se vérifie au même moment avec l’affirmation de l’histoire de l’art comme discipline indépendante. D’outils pédagogiques et réserves de modèles pour les jeunes peintres qu’elles étaient, les galeries d’art deviennent officiellement des lieux d’étude, d’observation et de méditation sur les évolutions historiques et artistiques. Cette étude retrace la dynamique complexe de ce processus dans lequel entrent en jeu des mouvements de différentes natures : des revendications disciplinaires des premiers représentants du connoisseurship italien aux tentatives tourmentées de réforme des académies des beaux-arts jusqu’à l’exigence de l’État italien naissant de doter son système muséal d’une organisation administrative.

Artysta Bolesław Jarosław Cybis: krótki szkic życia i twórczości do 1939 roku wraz z wyborem źródeł

A sketch of life of an outstanding, but a little forgotten, artist Bolesław Jarosław Cybis, who lived in years 1895– 1957, is presented in the article, but the author discusses only period till 1939. On the basis of an analyses of materials five stages in his biography have been separated: Crimean-Petersburg (1895–1912), Kharkov (1912–1919), Istanbul (1920–1923), Varsovian (1923–1939) and American (1939–1957). The article has been based on sources that have been unknown so far. The materials are stored in the Archive of Academy of Fine Arts in Warsaw, and they are connected with studies, employment, and the artist’s private life. Special attention has been paid to Kharkov time which became the time of choosing an occupation and also time of avant-garde, a dominating arts movement at that time, which became also his style of creating.

Matryce Stanisława Dawskiego (1905–1990) w zbiorach Biblioteki Naukowej PAU i PAN w Krakowie

The matrices by Stanisław Dawski (1905–1990) in the Scientific Library of PAU and PAN in Krakow collection The article is a preliminary research on the body of bookplates by Stanisław Dawski (1905–1990) – an artist, graphic designer, painter, professor and the rector of the State College of Fine Arts in Wrocław (currently the Academy of Fine Arts). The Graphic Collections of the Scientific Library of PAU and PAN keeps 383 plates (some of them used two-sidedly) with 409 matrices used for graphics, mostly bookplates; Dawski produced c. 505 bookplates. The collection was donated to the Library in 2009 by Lech Kokociński