The Up-to-date Antiquity. Body Cult in the Mirror of Contemporary Art
This article addresses the influence of antique (primarily, ancient Greek and Roman) art on contemporary Western European and Russian art. Among the great variety of aspects the cult of body as an expression of the conceptions of beauty appears to be the most interesting one for comparing and identifying similar features and essential differences. To the cold ideal beauty of a god-hero, representatives of contemporary Western European culture preferred a close contemplation of a real human, his or her faults turning imperfection into an object of celebration. A special topic of the discomposure of flesh and form, which was unnatural for the antique masters but found its reflection in different myths, has become popular among the contemporary European artists. In artworks of Russian artists who work in traditional genres of art, the connections with the Antique heritage are stronger mostly due to the preservation of the classical school and a high level of excellence. Nevertheless, along with the representatives of up-to-date art, they try to offer their own interpretation of contemporary beauty and topical issues.