Dialogues with the Artist and Functions of Pictures in Arkady Stavitsky’s Play ‘Good afternoon, Mister Gauguin!’

The article analyzes Good Afternoon, Mister Gauguin!, the only ekphrastic play by modern Russian playwright and screenwriter Arkady Stavitsky (1930-2020), in context of writer’s works taking into account approaches to study ekphrasis visuality drama. Following intermedial approach, research involved on art criticism biographies dedicated Gauguin’s life work. focuses not personality famous artist Paul Gauguin but also his created late 80s early 90s 19th century. picture ‘Good Gauguin’ is present detailed remark at beginning play. title both reflects emotional state hero ‘loops finale’. ‘The Yellow Christ’ symbolically sharpens conflict between art, society. rethinks character through relationship with female characters play: Anna, Juliette, Mette refer images myrrh-bearers foot cross or ‘three Joans Arc’ painting ‘Breton Women’.The pictures mentioned are mostly friend Emil Necker. Accordingly, while former real, those latter fictional. generalized Necker suggests a parallel S. Maugham’s novel Moon Sixpence. Necker’s ‘A Woman Child’ refers reader canvases Western European painters plot Virgin Child. Emil’s wife Anna becomes one models for – ‘Loss Innocence’ sculpture ‘Be Love You Will Be Happy’, revealing other side her nature. another models, dramatized scene sketch these works. image Van Gogh, depicted as an unrecognized ingenious artist, unites contrasts Paul. playwright’s familiarity published correspondence obvious. dialogism whose name reproduced correlates dialogues play, organized around pictures, emphasizes author’s contradictory attitude toward hero.