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THE SOUL OF MAN IN THE XVII-XVIII CENTURIES (ON THE MATERIAL OF EUROPEAN ART)
Authors: Kazakov Evgeniy Fedorovich

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The article, based on research of images of European art in the XVII-XVIII centuries, analyzed existence
of spiritual life of modern man. Its most important characteristic is the distance of the “Earthly” from “city
of God.” It is aberdene worldview. Mental suffering is expressed, often as physical torment, often completely
reducible to it. Spiritual does not already possess self-sufficiency; “reality” of existence is necessary to reinforce
with the credibility of organized textured material world. “Earth”, in order to attain “heaven,” does not
seek to rise to it, and brings it down to the level, turning the private part. There is a growing sense of fluidity,
temporality, the transience of earthly life; there is an increasing sense of anxiety, uncertainty, meaninglessness,
the extremities of being; perception of the world is becoming increasingly anti-religious. The emphasis
in the art has been transferred from the eye, face - to the body and the external environment in which it is
included. The face starts to appear as part of the “body” but not the most important. It increases partial worldview.
It is external person, this image is more and more is revealed through the reaction on the surroundings;
the focus is on external speaker’s shades of feelings. ���������������������������������������������������������Е��������������������������������������������������������xternal man turns to his objectification (which is especially
evident in the “ceremonial” portraits). Frank begins to dominate in naturalism. An attempt to compensate
for the superficiality and the lack of spirituality of materialism and naturalism was receiving increasingly
popular dream (embodied in the Baroque and Rococo). Man seeks “to seem” and not “to be.” “Earthly” estranged
from “city of God” but the memory of it, relationship with it is not lost. Spiritual light and primordial
beauty continue to dwell in the earthly world (which found expression in the works of Rembrandt, J. Vermeer,
P. Brueghel, J. Bosch). Images of European art in the XVII-XVIII centuries are two lines of development
of the spiritual life of man: the downward (from “city of God” to “the earthly”) and ascending (from “earthly”
to the “city of God”).
Keywords: soul, European, New time, history of the XVII-XVIII centuries, carnal, bodily, spiritual,
mental, rational, illusion, demonic, primordial, alienated, desacralization, aberdene, the image of man, fine
arts, painting, architecture, sculpture.