Texts by Zinaida Volkonskaya through the prism of the Kunstreligion concept

Tokareva Marina Sergeevna Department of history of Russian literature, Lomonosov Moscow State University 119991, Russia, Moscow, Leninskie Gory str., 1st building of the Humanities faculties marinatok97@gmail.com

Introduction

Zinaida Alexandrovna Volkonskaya (1789/1792–1862) was the wife of Nikita Volkonsky, the brother of the Decembrist Sergei Volkonsky. She was a writer, composer and musician: she wrote the short stories "Slavic Painting of the fifth century", "Laura" and "The Legend of Olga", composed poetry and musical cantatas. Zinaida Alexandrovna established herself as the mistress of literary and musical salons and close to the court of Alexander I: in the second half of the 1820s, A. S. Pushkin, E. A. Baratynsky, P. A. Vyazemsky, A. B. Mitskevich, D. V. Venevitinov and others visited her Moscow salon. After moving to Rome in 1829, Volkonskaya hosted N. V. Gogol, F. A. Bruni, V. Camuccini, G. Vernet, and V. Scott at her villa ^{[1, p. 17; 2, pp. 950-951]}, creating a single space for interaction between the Russian and European creative elite. She left an insufficiently studied literary legacy, which is one of the most famous examples of female noble creativity. Her essays, short stories and travelogues combine Russian and European literary traditions.

The phenomenon of Kunstreligion was mainly studied by German-speaking and English-speaking researchers mainly on musical material in a philosophical way, but not as an artistic means ^[3-8]. There is very little research on Kunstreligion in the context of Russian literature. Some aspects of it are touched upon in the works of E. E. Dmitrieva (mainly on the works of N. V. Gogol) ^[9-10], who suggested that under the influence of German Romanticism in general and Kunstreligion in particular, some representatives of the Russian aristocracy changed their religious views towards other faiths or mystical teachings ^{[8, p. 81]}. It seems possible to develop this topic considering the fact that Z. A. Volkonskaya converted to Catholicism in the 1830s ^{[1, p. 33]}. Therefore, it can be assumed that Kunstreligion really had an impact on her spiritual life and was reflected in her work, which we tried to trace in this article.

A detailed article about the travel notes of Z. A. Volkonskaya belongs to N. V. Chuprinova. It examines the artistic originality of the princess's travel notes about Italy and Germany, made during a trip from Moscow to Rome. The researcher considers their most characteristic feature to be the absence of a "friend-foe" opposition. The genre of a travelogue in the classical version implies that the author is moving from his native land (the "own" category) to other, unfamiliar countries (the "alien" category) ^{[11, p. 117]}. However, Volkonskaya's father was a diplomat, the princess was born and raised in Europe, for her this space feels like something closer than the starting point of the journey. N. V. Chuprynova notes that Volkonskaya's notes are characterized by philosophical reflection, literary and pictorial allusions: it seems necessary to continue analyzing these features in the context of the trends of German Romanticism.

Kunstreligion – the origins of the concept and philosophical justification

Kunstreligion Kunst – art, Religion - religion) is a philosophical and aesthetic concept that was formed at the turn of the 18th and 19th centuries within the framework of German Romanticism. The ideological inspirers of Kunstreligion are considered to be the brothers Schlegel, Novalis and V-G. The Wackenroder. According to the principles of classical Romanticism, a person strives for the infinite and integral, and philosophy, ethics, religion and art introduce him to the truth. The ideologists of Kunstreligion assumed that it is the contemplation of nature and pious art that most fully leads to an understanding of the transcendent. In the article "About philosophy. To Dorothea" F. Schlegel wrote that art, along with nature, is perceived as a way of knowing the absolute, as a symbol through which unity with the divine essence is achieved. In addition, he believed that women needed to know the absolute precisely through the visual forms of religion ^{[12, pp. 339-342]}.

Kunstreligion is characterized by the idealization of the Middle Ages as a return to the national. A medieval person is religious by definition, and religious consciousness allows one to see the infinite in the finite. For such a person, even everyday things are part of a great plan. In the diversity of the surrounding world, a religious person notices the creative inexhaustibility of divine life, capable of generating phenomena inexplicable by the logic of natural or social laws. This arrangement allows for the possibility of extraordinary phenomena. Thus, F. Schleiermacher sees the divine not in the conformity of phenomena with the law, but in the creative process, which allows for a deviation from the laws in favor of uniqueness ^{[13, p.158]}.

Another postulate of Kunstreligion is that the transition of humanity to the stage of religious bliss is possible only through art. These ideas were most clearly expressed in the text in Wackenroder's "Fantasies about Art. The heartfelt outpourings of an art–loving hermit" ("Herzensergießungen eines kunstliebenden Klosterbruders", 1797). Wackenroder in Russia in the 19th century was known in the circle of lovers of wisdom, with whom Zinaida Volkonskaya was close ^{[14, p. 9; 15, p. 229]}. In 1826, a translation of Wackenroder's work was published in Russian under the title "On Art and Artists. Reflections of a hermit, lover of the elegant." The writer S. P. Shevyrev, the teacher of Volkonskaya's son in Rome, took part in its publication ^{[14, p. 9]}. Therefore, there is reason to believe that Volkonskaya was aware of Wackenroder's way of thinking.

In "Fantasies about Art", the narration is conducted on behalf of the monk Joseph Berlinger. It seems no coincidence that the author of the arguments about aesthetics appears to be a man with a religious consciousness. In the essay "St. Peter's Cathedral" Berlinger claims that this monument was built "for the benefit of the world and for the glory of human dignity" ^{[16, p. 140]}. In Kunstreligion, man is only a skillful mediator through whom divine forces embody themselves in art: masterpieces embody the desire of mortals for the immortal ^{[16, p. 141]}. In another passage, the monk talks about two languages – nature and art. Art, especially religious art, presents the truth in a tangible form. In this it is equivalent to nature. It is stronger than moral teachings and philosophical systems that act exclusively on the mind. Real art exalts a person: if nature is so vast that it is impossible to fully comprehend it, then art presents divine truths in a concentrated and accessible way ^{[16, p.68-69]}.

Kunstreligion in Volkonskaya's travel notes on Germany and Italy

In the Russian collection of works by Z. A. Volkonskaya there are "Excerpts from travel memoirs" dated 1829 - the year of her journey from Moscow to Rome ^{[1, p. 30]}. Their part is "Weimar. Bavaria. Tyrol" is full of admiration for the architecture of Germany and its outstanding poets: Goethe Volkonskaya compares Goethe's inclusiveness and universality to a city where Greek temples harmonize with Gothic churches. Like Wackenroder, Volkonskaya combines the man-made and the man-made: describing the town of Bad Berneck, the princess combines the impression of a medieval castle and the surrounding river and forests. Volkonskaya conceptualized nature through religious images: "The Knights of St. Mary are now on their knees, petrified, over their tombs. It is no longer up to them to stop praying; but will a human hand or a heavenly thunder shatter their image and interrupt prayer?" ^{[16, p. 4]}. Similarly, the idea that art is equivalent to nature in the knowledge of the divine was actualized in the "Fantasies about Art."

In the notes "Saxony. Italian Tyrol. Northern Italy" Volkonskaya expresses the idea that the nature of the country influences her art: in the North, plastic arts are more restrained and even rude, in the South they are light and elegant. The difference between "northern" and "southern" art is most evident in religious images: "Rural churches, crucifixes in fields, images of the Mother of God and saints become more elegant; the variegation and awkwardness of crude works change into simple and pleasant forms" ^{[17, p. 12]}. Volkonskaya calls Italy "the birthplace of beautiful lines", where nature is the mentor of grace ^{[17, p. 13]}. Art and nature are equivalent for romantics because of their homogeneity. Nature is the result of divine intervention, and great art is created by man, but with the help of higher powers: "How rich is the thought of God, who distributed the climates on earth! What a vast laboratory, for which God is the soul, the guardian, and the artist!" ^{[17, p. 9]}.

Like the German romantics, the princess is interested in the folk principle as an expression of the national – she is trying to comprehend the "spirit" of the Tyroleans. In the "Travel Notes" there are medieval legendary images, especially chivalrous ones. Volkonskaya describes the legend of a tournament with a mysterious black knight. There are anachronisms in the Russian translation of this passage: for example, knights are called warriors ^{[17, p. 5]}. In addition, the author mentions Andreas Hofer, a Tyrolean national hero, the leader of the guerrilla war against the French and German occupiers. He is just as important to Tyroleans as Emperor Maximilian or Empress Maria Theresa, while the images of the latter evoke "chivalrous worship" ^{[17, p. 6]}. Like Wackenroder, the princess puts sensory cognition above mental cognition. Discussing the fate of Petrarch, she urges to leave cold research to the historian, and the artist should not shy away from legends as a form of expression of national consciousness: "Scientists! Do not ruin the national wealth when you cannot replace it with anything; both the fatherland and poetry ask you to do so" ^{[16, p. 15]}. Mental acuity is not always able to express the truth, which, according to both romantic and religious approaches, requires faith and unconditional acceptance.

Kunstreligion in Z. A. Volkonskaya's essay on painting

The most complete conceptual connection with Wackenroder's "Fantasies" can be traced in Volkonskaya's essays on painting "Raphael's Madonna in Dresden" ("La Madonna de Raphael à Dresde") and "Correggio's Magdalene" ("La Madeleine du Corrège"). These texts are written in French and did not appear in the Russian collection of selected works of the princess, the time of their creation is also unknown.

"Raphael's Madonna in Dresden" presents a detailed description of the characters in this painting, where special attention is paid to the views. The author begins with the Madonna and the baby: each of them is immersed in their own experiences, but there is a connection between the characters. The baby's gaze penetrates through time, as if he foresees his suffering and human malice ^{[18, p. 243]}.

Madonna's veil semble cacher myst é rieusement l'é panchement muet du fils avec la mêre; ils ne se regardent pas ; ils semblent pourtant s'entendre ^{[18, p. 244]} / "mystically conceals the outpouring of son and mother ; they do not look at each other, but it seems that they are all They're communicating."

The inner state of the characters in the painting forms its plot, but it is noticeable only to the viewer who is attuned to mystical knowledge.

Volkonskaya's interpretation of the poses and facial expressions of the saints who surround the Madonna is interesting: the princess sees religious ecstasy in them. The ecstasy of Saint Sixtus has an external orientation – his gaze is turned towards the Virgin, while Saint Barbara is immersed in quiet inner contemplation ^{[18, pp. 244-245]}. The painting makes such a strong impression on the princess that she falls into an exalted frame of mind, seeing the transcendent essence of the depicted:

En entrant c'est le premier tableau que j'ai vu: je sentis mes geneux presque flechir sous le poids de mon admiration ^{[18, p. 243]} / When I entered, it was the first painting I saw. I felt my legs almost give out under the weight of my admiration!

Another short essay, "Magdalene Correggio", is dedicated to the painting "Mary Magdalene in the Desert" (another version of the title is "Reading Magdalene"). According to the database "Utpictura18" of the interdisciplinary Center for the Study of Literature of the University of Aix-Marseille [Madeleine lisant - d'après la Madeleine perdue du Corrège à Dresde // Base des données "Utpictura18". https://utpictura18.univ-amu.fr/notice/11274-madeleine-lisant-dapres-madeleine-perdue-correge-a-dresde] Up until the 20th century, the work was attributed to Correggio, but today this point of view is disputed. The authorship of the painting has not been established, as the original was lost after 1945. The work was in Dresden, where Volkonskaya could see it together with the "Madonna" by Raphael.

In the essay, the princess focuses on describing the play of light and shadow, namely the illumination of the figure of Magdalene. The figure seems to be illuminated from the inside, demonstrating calmness and reverence. This way of distributing light makes Volkonskaya reflect on the author's intentions.:

Elle n'a plus l'air de la pécheresse; le repentir a lavé ses fautes, ses larmes ont rendu à sa physionomie la candeur de l'adolescence : elle se repose de ses fautes passées et se repose en Dieu ^{[18, c. 247]} / She no longer looks like a sinner; repentance has washed away her transgressions, tears have returned her youthful frankness to her face: she is resting from past mistakes and resting in God.

Thus, the contemplation of a painting by Volkonskaya is connected not only with aesthetic pleasure: the work of art becomes a source of spiritual guidance. The portrayed character acts as a kind of landmark and an example for inspiration, which somewhat brings the portrait closer to the icon.

What unites these reflections with Wackenroder? Firstly, the German thinker himself visited the Dresden Gallery, perhaps it was she who inspired him to write "Fantasies" ^{[16, p.247]}. Secondly, in his collection there are several essays about the author of the Sistine Madonna – "The Vision of Raphael", "The Pupil and Raphael", "The Image of Raphael" and "On children's figures in paintings by Raphael". In "The Vision of Raphael," the narrator describes an ancient manuscript that describes how Raphael managed to convey religious images so expressively. The source of inspiration for the Italian master was "a particularly sacred feeling for the Mother of God" ^{[16, p.30]}. One night, when the artist was looking for the most accurate image of her, the image of the Virgin that he had begun suddenly transformed and became exactly as he imagined it ^{[16, p.30]}. In the same text, the author argues with those who believe that the inspiration of geniuses can be rationalized. He calls them "unbelievers": this approach denies the divine origin of art. For the hero of Wackenroder, inspiration and talent are gifts from above, so they are worthy of almost religious worship.

Conclusions

So, let's highlight the main manifestations of Kunstreligion in the texts of Zinaida Volkonskaya. Firstly, the princess expressed religious feelings through prose, poetry and music, presenting them as a kind of synthesis. The Princess attaches special importance to the sensual and aesthetic aspects of cognition, which fit into the framework of a romantic worldview. This can be seen in the interest in national legends, medieval images, as well as in the deification of nature and art. The superiority of sensory cognition and even a certain disregard for reasoning is noticeable, as in F. Schlegel and Wackenroder, as well as Volkonskaya. It is not known how much the princess was aware of the influence of the German romantics.: It is difficult not to assert that the variety of languages of her work (she wrote in Russian, French and Italian), her connection with European culture and a wide range of contacts with artists made her searches open to different trends.

Art and religion offer the viewer a mystery, and any romantic person aspires to it. There is a sense of the times in this approach: the early 19th century was characterized by a rejection of rationality in favor of irrational cognition and mysticism. There was an interest in individual and independent religious perception, which created the ground for various syncretic forms of religiosity. The essence of Kunstreligion in Volkonskaya's texts is the use of an individual artistic language to create a kind of universe and an imaginative type of thinking. This language of "author's" religious images allows us to express the main philosophical categories and answer the "eternal" questions.