«Chinese pages» in the diaries of the artist Grigory Likman

Abstract

The article analyses fragments of the diaries of the famous Novosibirsk artist Grigory Gustavovich Likman (1954 and 1960), which represent a publicistic reflection on the events of the Soviet-Chinese cultural exchange in which the artist was involved. These pages reflect the general moments of the Soviet creative intelligentsia's reception of Chinese culture; they contain a vivid emotional reaction to a completely different culture, including visual culture. At the same time, Likman's analyses of his impressions and their recording in the text are accompanied by the application of new knowledge in practice: the artist tries to combine the principles of traditional Chinese painting (the desire to convey the essence of the depicted, the special expressiveness of brush movement, spontaneity) with his own already established artistic style. Likman's diary entries and sketches testify to his keen interest in new painting and decorative-applied techniques and are an important source for filling in the gaps in the creative biography of this very versatile artist. The analysis of the diaries confirms the observations of art historians made on the material of painting and graphics: the artist tried to comprehend socially significant subjects in a lyrical way as well as he comprehended domestic subjects.