Keyword: «реализм»

The article examines the range of paintings of the second half of the XIX century united by their theme. Despite wide popularity of these paintings, so far, they have not been the subject of a special analysis. Author's attention is drawn to a certain strategy for representation of tea drinking, formed in Russian realistic painting. This strategy had no analogues in any other European art school: traditionally they turned to tea theme to represent ideas about comfort, family values and everyday joys. In the paintings of Russian artists of the second half of the XIX century, tea party turned into a story, that tells about social injustice. Refusal to fix the beauty and harmony of everyday life in order to achieve high social goals is considered in this article not as an artistic device, but rather as a way of reflecting national attitude to everyday human existence, as a significant feature of Russian mentality.

The article is devoted to the analysis of the literary legacy of the English writer of the first half of the 20th century William Somerset Maugham. The author puts the focus on the works that deal with the problems of family and marriage. The problems under discussion are viewed within the context of Maugham's ideas. The novelist's concepts of true love and happy marriage are also represented in the article.