The Ideal of Beauty and Harmony in the European Fine Art

As a higher form of mastering the world following the laws of beauty, the best works of the European art do not just bring in some aesthetic pleasure but also help to understand (and create) the beautiful. In this research, using comparative, typological, descriptive, visual, philosophical, theological, and artistic analysis methods an analysis of the selected pieces, from the ancient times till present was made. It was traced that the ideal of beauty and harmony largely depended on the peculiarities of each historical period. Development of spiritual culture of the European continent nations underwent many stages: from primitive art through the ancient times and till modernism. In each period fixed rules and norms shaped up the ideal of beauty and harmony, which can be understood only through immersing into a certain epoch via analysis and study of a specific piece of art. Scientific novelty of the results obtained lies in the fact that materials about the ideal of beauty and harmony in the aesthetics of the European art are added to art criticism as universal general human values. The ideal of beauty and harmony over the whole historical period, as exemplified by preserved monuments, can be traced in all art forms, in particular, in sacral art

Ukrainian Iconography of the Late XX–Early XXI Century: Trends and Leading Schools

The article deals with the development of modern Ukrainian iconography, the formation of the main centers and regional schools, traces artistic and stylistic features and trends. The article analyzes the activities of the Kyiv and Lviv Art Schools in the field of sacred art. The main features of the development of modern iconography are identified, the creativity of leading specialists and iconographers, genres and technological specifics of iconography are studied. The scientific novelty of this research consists in a comprehensive study of modern Ukrainian iconography, taking into account artistic and stylistic, regional, technological, and canonical aspects. Features of formation of art schools and associations of sacred art in Ukraine are traced. The aim of the study is to determine the main trends in the development of modern Ukrainian iconography, to identify the influence of leading schools in the field of sacred art. The methodological basis is a comprehensive approach to the analysis of cultural and artistic phenomena in the chronological and theoretical aspects of the development of modern sacred art in Ukraine