Anatolii Rudnytskyi – “The Mo- zart of Emotions"
Abstract
The article provides a com- prehensive art-historical analysis of the paint- erly oeuvre of Anatolii Rudnytskyi, metaphori- cally defined by critics as the “Mozart of emo- tions” due to the exceptional sensitivity of his colouristic thinking and the impulsive expres- siveness of his visual language. The evolution of his individual artistic style is traced from the thorough assimilation of the traditions of Ukrainian decorative art and the attentive cop- ying and reinterpretation of works by world masters to the formation of an original authori- al concept. This concept is characterized by a synthetic combination of elements of surreal- ism, impressionist sensitivity to light, and a symbolist system of signs, which imparts a dis- tinctive emotional and psychological intensity to his paintings. Particular attention is devoted to the philosophical and existential content of the artist’s canvases, revealed through refined chromatic harmony, plastically generalized treatment of forms, and the use of multivalent symbols –leaves, feathers, butterflies, and the crown of thorns – functioning as semiotic markers of spiritual quest, the fragility of life, and inner purification. The article analyses the impact of early creative inspirations, artistic education in Lviv, as well as foreign travels and exhibition activity in major European cultural centres – London, Paris, and Kraków – on the formation of the painter’s worldview, his tech- nical and technological approaches, and the compositional structure of his works. It is em- phasized that Rudnytskyi’s art performs not only an aesthetic function but also stimulates intellectual and emotional empathy in the viewer, encouraging reflection on the transi- ence of existence and on the interaction be- Newsletter 18 TRANSCARPATHIAN ACADEMY OF ART 50 tween time, nature, and human activity. Ulti- mately, the artist’s figure emerges as a holistic phenomenon within contemporary Ukrainian painting, oriented toward affirming the idea of spiritual harmony and inner balance.