ORIENTAL CARPETS IN THE FINE ARTS OF EUROPE DURING THE MIDDLE AGES
Abstract
The purpose is to determine the specifics of the spread of fashion for oriental carpets in the European art of the Middle Ages, starting with Gothic and early Renaissance fresco paintings of the 12th – 14th centuries, and ending with oil paintings of the High Renaissance and Mannerism.
Results. Considering the fact that since the spread of the oil technique in Europe from the 15th century, the leading artists of the Renaissance and Mannerism in traduced oriental carpets with a unique ornamental structure and coloring to their canvases, enhancing the perception of the image of the portraits in the environment, their status in society. Since the late Middle Ages, a tradition of showing the interiors of powerful and wealthy citizens surrounded by elegant, valuable things has gradually developed. The latter, on the one hand, were needed to show the genetics of the customers, the origin of their family members, to build "bridges" to the ancient (of ten mythical) genealogy.
On the other hand, it was all owed to declare ambitions for the accumulation of treasures, «disguising» and playing heroes of seraglio sand harems, thinking of a person with an Eastern mentality or a supporter of ancient religions, cultural traditions, etc.
Research methodology. The research uses a set of principles, methods and approaches. The principle of scientific comprehensiveness, art history approach, historical-genetic, historical-comparative (comparative), socio-cultural methods, as well as methods of typology, iconography and art history analysis are applied.
Novelty. The novelty of the study is related to the clarification of information about the circle of masters of Euro pean painting of the Middle Ages, who turned to the introduction of motifs of oriental carpets in to their canvases.
The practical significance. The obtained results allow us to retrospectively understand certain trends in the development of European medieval painting related to the motifs of oriental carpets in the paintings of wellknown representatives of the Italian and Northern Renaissance and Mannerism.
