Development of the early printed decoration of manuscripts of the 16th -17th centuries. The works of the brothers Basov

The article is a generalization of research devoted to the ornamental creations of the outstanding Old Russian manuscript masters of the 16th-17th century, the brothers Stefan, Fedor, and Gavrila Basov. Their book designs (primarily liturgical books) are a vivid example of the formation and development of medieval culture as an early printed style of book ornamentation. The study of headpieces created using the elemental-structural method by the brothers Basov in manuscripts showed the importance of working with patterns for Old Russian artists. We believe that outstanding artworks of Old Russian art (headpieces of early printed Moscow books) and particular elements of European art (engravings by Israel van Mekenem and Albrecht Dürer) were sources of inspiration. Stefan, Fedor and Gavrila Basovs focused on the established traditions of the early printed style and developed it, enriching it with new images and artistic techniques. In their artworks, the brothers Basovs copied existing templates (compositional solutions or individual elements) and also created their own reimagining of ideas and created unique variants of ornamentation. The art of the brothers improved and became a model for other masters.