Creative portrait of Nikolai Gumilyov, created by contemporary artists: style and synthesis

Abstract

The figure of Nikolai Stepanovich Gumilyov, a poet and theorist of Acmeism, possesses a unique allure and depth. His legacy comprises a creative self-portrait, as well as portraits created by his contemporaries: poets and painters. The aim of this study is to reproduce the artistic portrait of Nikolai Gumilyov, crafted by masters of various arts who, while capturing the distinctive qualities of the poet, also expressed traits of the “style of the cultural epoch” (P.N. Sakulin) to which he belonged. To reveal the individuality in the creation of the poet's image, the painter or poet must employ means that can most accurately and expressively describe the real personality and spiritual essence of the subject being portrayed. To achieve this, a comparative-historical method developed by F.I. Buslaev and further applied by the prominent literary theorist and poetry researcher of the turn of the 20th century, V.M. Zhirmunsky. This research enables the identification of the common and individual elements in each specific case and presents the characteristics of the complex and tragic epoch of the early 20th century.