The study is dedicated to the analysis of formation and development of creative language of W. Kotarbinsky in the context of the leading stylistic trends that prevailed in the fine arts in the second half of the 19th – the beginning of the 20th centuries. Thus, the artistic heritage of the above-mentioned master has absorbed the diversity of traditions of European painting of the fin de siècle and is represented by works in the academic, decadent and symbolist style. Until now, the artist’s contribution to the history of Ukrainian fine arts has not been fully understood yet, because the master was the only one painter of a cohort of Ukrainian artists who turned to macabre and mystical subjects in his paintings.
The decadent iconography singled out images of dead women floating in water, lying on an anatomical table, or bounded to a cross. The first of these categories, as well as the image of an androgynous woman, comes from the art of the Pre-Raphaelites and is represented by three iconographic versions: Ophelia, the Lady of Shallot and Elaine of Astolat. An important factor was the water surface, which, like a mirror, acquired the occult significance symbolising the transition from one world to another and lifting the veil of the afterlife. The study notes that the main distinguishing feature of symbolism was “lighter”, “bleached” sublime atmosphere of spirituality, already purified from necrotic energy, psychologically more stable, with an emphasis on finding a new transcendent reality. However, not all artists immediately moved beyond the darkness of decadence, and the work of some of them was marked by the theme of confronting decadent darkness and spiritual renewal. Thus, through the analysis of the work of the Rosicrucian, the dissertation systematized the iconography of mystical symbolism, which includes images of black-winged angels, polymorphic creatures and figures materialized from water, fire, fog or celestial bodies.
Among other things, the dissertation addresses the phenomenon of colour and music synesthesia and cosmism inherent in symbolist painting. This work was completely free from decadent reflections, and to identify their key images. The work also revealed the specifics of the manifestation of symbolist trends in the works of Polish, Russian and Ukrainian artists.
The artistic heritage of W. Kotarbinsky is replete with decadent images of dead and crucified women, motifs of death and despair, which were characteristic of masters of German and Belgian art. At the same time, W. Kotarbinsky's artistic imagery has a certain affinity with the art of the Pre-Raphaelites. Also, W. Kotarbinsky's works, representing figure from waves, fog or stars, and appealing to the paintings by mystic symbolizm. Instead, twilight motifs, cemeteries and ghosts in the artist's works come from the traditions of Polish symbolism, and angelic figures and color-musical allusions are in tune with the imagery of the Lithuanian artist M. Churlionis. Also, in the artistic work of W. Kotarbinsky there are reflections of Russian artists, in particular G. Semiradsky and M. Vrubel.
Thus, understanding the links between art schools of different countries that reflected the decadent and symbolist trends made it possible to identify their reminiscences in the paintings by W. Kotarbinski and to outline the work of this Ukrainian artist as an integral, distinct, stable and important link of European decadence and symbolism.
Key words: Wilhelm Kotarbinsky, 19th – the beginning of the 20th centurу, European Paradigms, Academism, Pre-Raphaelites, Decadence, Symbolism.
