Dante’s and Solovyov’s Apocalyptic Images as Stylistic Counterpoints in the Era of Change

Abstract

Following the example of Dante’s apocalyptic images in the “Divine Comedy” and Vladimir Solovyov’s “A Short Story of Antichrist”, this article takes into consideration the ideological and artistic elements of the counterpoint – the latter being meant as a simultaneous confrontation and combination of styles from different historical epochs. For this purpose, a given stylistic version of the cross-cultural method is adopted. As a result of it, the author demonstrates that the “Divine Comedy” belongs to the Italian proto-Renaissance style, in which, along with the traditions of medieval culture, the stylistic features of Renaissance and Modern times are forming. The conclusion is that the authorial style of Dante’s eschatology is the style of the prophet and judge of humanity who proclaims the continuation of its eternal life. In the same way, the authorial strategy of Solovyov’s last work may be also attributed to a stylization of the prophetic genre that was typical of the Russian culture of the late 19th and early 20th century. Despite all this, Solovyov’s apocalyptic images do not have a clearly formulated idea concerning the coming salvation – which should be mandatory for the Christian eschatology, – but they only formulate in a new way a prediction regarding the inevitable continuation of great wars, coups and civil strives on the path leading to the end of history. In this transitional stage full of malice, lies and deceit, only the traditional Christian ideal of unselfish love and spiritual unity, which Solovyov employs within the framework of a new artistic style, is endowed with the ability to preserve its timeless value. The overall result of the comparison of the historical style of John’s Revelation with the two subsequent stylizations of apocalyptic images is a confirmation of the existence of a cultural self-development that manifests itself in the iconic works of the era of change.