Images of elderly people in the works of the “Northern Cycle” by V. A. Igoshev (1950s-1990s)

This article explores the stylistic and substantive features of the “Northern Cycle” works by People’s Artist of the USSR Vladimir Aleksandrovich Igoshev (1921-2007). The article aims to trace the artistic evolution of images of the elderly within the context of Igoshev’s “Northern Cycle” of the 1950s-1990s. The scientific novelty stems from the fact that the article offers, for the first time in art history literature, a comprehensive analysis of the artist’s “Northern Cycle” paintings, reflecting the philosophical program and style of the theme of old age. This analysis of the paintings and sketches from the “Northern Cycle” of the 1950s-1990s has yielded new insights into stylistic changes and the transformation of the subject matter. It has been established that a serious, morally analytical approach to the theme of old age did not restrict the artist’s formal freedom, but, on the contrary, only facilitated his plastic experiments, helping to express subtle semantic nuances and the author’s own spiritual overtones. Thanks to this research perspective, it became possible to trace the “traditionalist” turn in V. A. Igoshev’s work and, depending on changes in the historical context, to demonstrate the inversions of the binary opposition “the old North” / “the new North”.