Exhibition of Shakespeare's Sonnets opened in Herzen library

The international section of Herzen library has launched an exhibition of Shakespeare's Sonnets in the form of calligraphy artworks. The event is dedicated to the year of Shakespeare in Russia, and the 445th anniversary of the great English poet's birthday.

Reported by his contemporaries as “sugar sweet,” Shakespeare’s Sonnets are one of the major mysteries in his art. Their popularity led to numerous unauthorized publications, and today it’s still not certain whom the love poems were addressed to. One theory is that is was the Queen Elizabeth I. Grigory Markov, a calligraphy artist from Kirov, attempted to impress his special treatment of the great English poet’s heritage.

GRIGORY MARKOV, CALLIGRAPHY ARTIST:

“This artwork reflects a sandglass, this is how I wanted to paint this Shakespeare’s Sonnet. And this 8-shaped one reflects the infinity and timelessness of Shakespeare’s art.”

The most renowned Kirov calligrapher, the author of the famous Vyatka Alphabet, Andrey Drachenkov attended the event to support his apprentice.

ANDREY DRACHENKOV, CALLIGRAPHY ARTIST:

“Grigory’s art is a miracle to me to some extent. Right in front of my eyes, he has turned into a master hand, a calligraphy addict who addressed to Shakespeare’s art and made it so exciting.”

The exhibition also put on display a series of books about calligraphy and Shakespeare, including the facsimile editions of the 6th century Celtic Bible made by Irish monks, and the Codex Sinaiticus, a unique edition of the Old Covenant, written in the 4th century in Ancient Greek.

ELIZAVETA MALYSHEVA, HEAD OF INTERNATIONAL SECTION AT HERZEN LIBRARY

“This exhibition helps track both the history of calligraphy, and the history of books, and their interaction. I’m excited that handwriting is experiencing a revival these days. Nothing will ever replace human hand and the genuine feel.”

The value of a handwritten book can be hard to see in the digitalization and globalization era. Yet the evolution of information vehicles can’t be stopped, and it has reached a new level. Clay tablets, birch back, papyrus, parchment, paper, and then finally a digital code that requires an electronic assistant to display letters – a computer or a smartphone screen. Yet no assistant will ever be able to translate the experience of reading a live book.

Source: www.gtrk-vyatka.ru