Synthesis of Arts in N. V. Gogol’s “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka

• Published in: Litera no. 7; pp. 15 - 26
• Main Author: Yarovoy, Sergey Aleksandrovich
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: 01.07.2023
• ISSN: 2409-8698; 2409-8698
• DOI: 10.25136/2409-8698.2023.7.43469

The article analyzes N. V. Gogol’s views, expressed in his articles of the 1830-40s, on the problem of interaction of painting, architecture, music, literature. The various functions that Gogol ascribes to art are determined by the main idea of the writer – serving the saving mission of literature. The article also deals with Gogol’s thoughts on the need to create a universal art, which would amaze reader's imagination by applying effects borrowed from other types of art. Thus, the goal of this article is to examine aesthetic searches of N.V. Gogol expressed in his articles about art, included in short story collection “Arabesques”, educe examples of the use of artistic techniques of the “new” synthetic art in the works of the cycle “Evenings on a Farm Near Dikanka”. In the course of the study, it is suggested that the writer had been developing stories from “Evenings…” in accordance with visual perception laws, had been using methods in prose including dramatic skill, for instance, unfolding the action by means of statements and characters’ acts, fast change of events and locations. The article established that in order to create a comprehensive world view which is meant to shock reader’s imagination and amaze him, Gogol develops his own unique manner of narration – he uses a fragmentary division of stories, saturation of episodes with actions, fully and brightly describes the details, which allows us to conclude that the writer uses the effects of the same “synthetic” art, theoretical basis of which were described by him in articles “Sculpture, Painting, and Music”, “On Present-Day Architecture”, “The Last Day of Pompeii” and some other essay.