Abstract

The subject covered in the article is part of a broader issue, namely the dialogue of cultures that was a widespread and vibrant phenomenon in the 18th-century Europe. This is one of the aspects of intercultural communication — the interchange of artistic personnel between countries. The “itinerant” or “migratory” type of artist that emerged during this period played a pivotal role in this phenomenon. Since the turn of the century, the practice of inviting French masters, painters, sculptors and architects to European monarchs’ courts had been extensively cultivated. The French tradition begins to actively influence the formation of artistic policy in many European states. In order to understand the development of Russian art in the 18th century, it is important to identify and determine the reasons for the emergence of this phenomenon and for its existence in both the pan-European and Russian cultural space. The author focuses his attention mostly on the career of one of the representatives of the phenomenon in question — Jean-Louis Develly (1730–1804?), a French master who came to Russia about 1754. By studying creative biographies of migrant artists who influenced the general picture of Russian art in the second half of the century, we can gain a better understanding of this phenomenon. We can speak of the emergence of a particular “itinerant painter’s method”. This synthetic artistic method is a fusion of the heritage of the national school where the master grew up and the artistic traditions of the countries he visited. In this context, the figure of J.-L. Develly is very significant. Communicating with Russian clients, pupils and established artists, representatives of the national art school, the French master actively promoted intercultural contacts. The artist’s biography provides interesting material that allows us to trace the main ways of interaction between artistic traditions of Russia and France.