Dostoevsky’s interest in art is undeniable. Painting, music, and theater were reflected in his works of art. Dostoevsky’s wife, Anna Grigorievna, regularly mentioned in her memoirs the couple’s visits to museums and galleries during their stay in Europe. Certain works of art had a strong impact on the writer. Such an effect was produced on Dostoevsky by Hans Holbein the Younger’s painting “The Dead Christ.” In “Grazhdanin” of 1873, when the writer served as the editor of the publication, notes and articles appeared devoted to reviews of exhibitions, paintings, and photographs from the Hermitage collection. The authors published in “Grazhdanin” — A. N. Maikov, V. P. Meshchersky, and I. Yu. Nekrasov — addressed painting in their publications. Dostoevsky devoted the ninth chapter of “The Writer’s Diary” to the St. Petersburg exhibition, prepared for display in Vienna. He was interested in issues related to the misunderstanding of Russian art by other cultures. Art criticism in the weekly “Grazhdanin” took various forms. The authors of “Grazhdanin” published both general reviews and topical articles. Expressing paintings and photo reproductions through words is a difficult task even for experienced art critics with specialized art history training. A. N. Maikov acted as a scrupulous reviewer, noticing small but vital details in understanding a painting. The critic turned to the historical context to expand the image. In their examination of the latest events in Moscow and St. Petersburg, I. Yu. Nekrasov and V. P. Meshchersky respectively focused on art news. In Dostoevsky’s verbal description, paintings came to life and became dynamic. Writers were often unconcerned with the image details; they sought to convey strong and vivid artistic impressions in words.
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