Emotional, Expressive and Stylistic Features of the Canonical Sacred Painting of Rus-Ukraine of the 13th to the 14th Century

The article purpose is to analyse the state of scientific learning of the canon of the Ukrainian and foreign studies of art; to find out the emotional, expressive and pictorial style features in the canonical sacred painting of Rus-Ukraine of the 13th to the 14th century. The research methodology is to combine the analytical review and analysis and methods of cognition (to provide an objective analysis of research literature and primary sources that reflect the main trends in the development and functioning of the iconographic canon); sociocultural methodology (the ancient sacred Ukrainian art as a component of the Christian paintings of the Kyivan Church tradition was researched); the sociocultural approach (to determine the unity of the Eastern Christian aesthetic principles); historical method (to review the historical stages of formation and transformation of the iconographic canon); phenomenological method (to learn the importance of sacred art). The scientific novelty of the article lies in the fact that in the Ukrainian Art Studies for the first time there is a study on the subject of the iconographic canon as an important artistic principle of national iconography; the state of the scientific conception of the canon has been analysed; the emotional, expressive and pictorial style features in the canonical sacred painting of Rus-Ukraine of the 13th‑14th centuries were discussed. Conclusions. We have identified the role of the canon in the art system of ecclesiastical art, its influence on art perception; the principles of the relationship between the canon and sacred art, etc. The study clearly shows that during the process of the historical development of ecclesiastical art the iconographic canon was being gradually destroyed (modified) on the territory of Rus-Ukraine. It is stated that isographic canon was a moving spirit mostly for a little-known gifted icon-painters of the past.