Allegory of Asia: image of the Muslim east in Russian art of the first half of the 18th century

The article considers a number of allegorical images of Asia created in Russia in the first half of the 18th century. It seems that they contributed to the formation of the artistic image of the Muslim East in Russian art. The author considers the pictorial sources of these allegories, examines their iconography, identifies the main Oriental forms and motifs that have entered the artistic life of domestic masters and are invariably identified with the Muslim world