Interior depiction in the work of Ivan Goncharov

The paper presents the first attempt to study the system of interior depiction in the entire creative heritage of Ivan Goncharov. Depiction represents a philosophical and aesthetic system founded on synthesis as the primary artistic strategy, characterized by the incorporation of artistic traditions from verbal and visual arts, culminating in the theory of epicization as proposed by Goncharov. The interior, categorized as an interdisciplinary genre, constitutes a key narrative element for the writer, showcasing traits of Flemish artistic traditions. The interiors depicted in Goncharov’s works are found to play a variety of roles, including chronotopic, plot-forming, characterological, decorative, and compositional functions. This study analyzes texts from both early works and the “Frigate Pallada” travelogue trilogy, focusing on descriptions of interiors. The interior is proved to be significant for the portrait genre. It becomes crucial to examine the interplay between the poetic treatment of interiors in Gogol’s work and the depictions of interior spaces in Oblomov. Within “Frigate Pallada,” the concept of “home” evolves into a super-concept: to portray a unified national identity within the context of civilizational advancement, emphasizing the individuality of each nation’s history and culture through detailed artistic depictions. The descriptions of interiors are demonstrated to be meaningfully connected to the inner lives of the characters inhabiting the chronotopes. This article examines the distinctive characteristics of Goncharov’s artistic representation, focusing on the multifaceted functions of interior spaces in his works.

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