Oksana Dubitskaya
The Association of Art Critics, Russia
The crisis of the 80s of the 19th century in painting meant something more than just figuring out which of the artists were in the vanguard. Clearly what is vital is the fact that in the development of the language of painting refers to subjective content. Not so much new motives, new approaches, perceived through new formal methods, “inspire” new values. The projection of thoughts and feelings bring the artwork to this perfect goal, entails perhaps illustrating examples, which are now perceived as commonplace so that the modern viewer doesn’t understand where the novelty is.
The works of Puvis de Chavannes(1824–1898) are at the origins of symbolism.
The ancient stories (“Orpheus”) the artist turned to linked him with the writers — symbolists, namely with the poet Charles Leconte de Lisle and critic Théophile Gautier.
“Sacred grove” is an ode to antiquity.
Since Puvis, the symbolists perceive with understanding the connection of allegory with the mood in painting, choosing the most congenial to their own purposes: privacy. They concluded that well-laid out, the style corresponded to their own ideas of synthetism, and that for its reductive classical idylls there is truly a symbolic meaning.
Gustave Moreau (1826–1898) was also an admirer of the art of antiquity.
Despite confusing iconography of Moreau, his writings (or, on the contrary, thanks to this rebus), since the message could be read (and solved verbally, in detail), critics and writers began to perceive Moreau as he presented himself. Namely, the idealist, the creator of the “art of the spirit, heart and imagination” whose goal was “through line, arabesque and plastic possibilities to resurrect the idea”.
Elusive references of Moreau to the legends of antiquity were equal with the easiness of original perception, with the various “paths” leading from reality to ideas: “Apollo and the nine muses”, “Jupiter and Semele”, “Phaeton”, “Oedipus and the Sphinx”, “Orpheus at the tomb of Eurydice”. For Moreau, for example, the original meaning of the word “Sphinx” is lost. The word meant less than the mystery of life which is accepted as a material existence (sinful, hostile to the spirit). Moreau was passionate about art theory outlined in philosophical essays by M. Maeterlinck. And Moreau’s symbolism of color anticipated the experiments of abstractionists.
Moreau and Puvis de Chavannes were never members of the Association of the symbolists, but were their idols.