Keyword: «realism»

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.

analysis of the narrative strategy of V.G. Perov's «Stories of the Artist», in our opinion, gives a clear idea of the nature of the concepts that are paramount for the author’s worldview, which he visualizes in the material structure of the painting. The study of narrative as a factor structuring the world of artistic images in the literary experiments of V.G. Perov, discovers the creation of conceptual dominants that affect the nature of the iconic message of his paintings. A comparison of pictorial and literary images from the point of view of identifying author's narrative strategies makes it possible to establish the principles of the analogous relationship between visual and verbal perception.

The article deals with the interconnection between E.A. Poe’s prose and poetry themes and facts of his biography. The plots of Poe’s works are viewed within the context of imagery and themes the writer touches upon. The authors come to the conclusion that parallels can be drawn between Poe’s fiction motifs and the tragic events of the classic’s personal life. The survey has established that the biographical character and realism of Poe’s writing is a key to his worldwide popularity.

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.