Eternity as an artistic image feature

This article describes ways of eternity display in the artistic images of visual art works. The article begins with formulating the definition of eternity. Philosophic conceptions of eternity divide into two groups. On the one hand, eternity can be understood as an attribute of the absolute reality. This understanding is typical of Plato, Plotin, B. Spinoza, G.V. Leibniz, I. Kant, and to some representatives of Western and Eastern patristic. On the other hand, philosophers discern the opportunity of immanent existence of eternity inside time as the "now moment". Aristotle first formulated time as the "now moment" notion. Then this notion appeared in A. Berg-son's, I.G. Fichte's works. Conceptions of eternity elaborated by Augustine of Hippo and Meister Eckhart joined the two above-listed points of view. These philosophers asserted that a human's soul is a base for eternity. There is a connection between the philosophic conceptions of eternity and some conceptions of an artistic image. Texts that analyzed Christian art understand eternity as an attribute of the absolute reality. In Christian conceptions realization of eternity is possible because of God embodied in visible forms (with the help of His Son). According to this understanding, we can represent God in artistic images if we use sensitive objects as symbols of another world. The icon contains an invisible view of God so it can transform the spectator's view. G.E. Lessing, P. Florensky, C.G. Jung wrote about an opportunity of "now moment" development in works of art. G.E. Lessing considered that this opportunity is peculiar only to visual art ("space art") works. P. Florensky asserted that "productive moment" unites different moments of movement into integrity (not mechanical collection). C.G. Jung identified "now moment" with the moment of archetype activation in the artist's psychical life. Consequently, there are some instruments of expressing eternity qualities in an artistic image, such as symbolical interpretation of represented fragments of reality; activation and arrangement of unconscious images; release of composition signs in the "absentee presence" of the Absolute; summarizing of movement fleeting stages into the genuine present of the "now moment". Potentially, an art work of any style or epoch can have the quality of eternity. But there is one condition. This art work should have eternity features: integrity and "life force". Due to these features, some artistic images can transform the depicted reality and spectator's view.

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