Oil paintings of the 18th century in St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev: problems of research, dating and attribution

Abstract

This article is devoted to the study of 18th century oil painting in the St. Sophia Cathedral in Kiev. The work of historians and art historians on this subject was analyzed. The author used restoration reports, photographs and other documents stored in the scientific archive of the Sofia Kievskaya National Reserve. It is noted that poor preservation of painting, fragmented plots, and damage to the paint layer complicate the attribution of preserved compositions. In most cases, the inscriptions that accompanied the composition and were placed on the background, as well as on the opening, were mostly lost. They could be the key to the interpretation of individual scenes. The article shows the analogies of painting in some Kiev monuments, namely the Trinity Gate Church of the Kiev-Pechersk Lavra. It has been suggested that the use of a variety of materials from Ukrainian and European illustrative prints and paintings of the 18th century will help determine the possible range of sources of iconography. The influence of European art of the 17th–18th centuries was noted on the development of artistic features of the Kiev art school. Also, art history analyses indicate its interaction with other art schools in Europe (Russia, Serbia, etc.). In addition, 18th century painting in Sofia Kievskaya must be considered in close connection with church literature and other manifestations of cultural life. The compositions of this time preserved in the lofts of the St. Sophia Cathedral are mainly devoted to eschatological topics, but there are also allegorical plots, ornaments, and landscapes. It is noted that some time in the 18th century, an art school operated at the Sofia monastery. A number of questions relating to oil painting of the 18th century in the St. Sophia Cathedral still require careful study.