Abstract: The subject of this study is the evolution of discourse of the ancient visual and literary heritage in the visual arts of the XIX – first half of the XX centuries. Representatives of the Cimmerian Art School of different generations are united by zest in the artistic image of Crimea, as well as historical heritage of the peninsula. One of the most relevant topics in visual arts of the "Cimmerians" throughout the XIX – early XX centuries lies in the cultural heritage of antiquity. The object of the study is a change in reciting of visual text of ancient culture in the Cimmerian Art School. The article applies a method of semiotic analysis of oeuvres of the artists of Cimmerian Art School; description of visual images; and analysis of the literary and narrative sources. The main results of the research consist in disclosure of the cultural basis of ancient and archaic theme in art; identification of the key directions of reciting the images of antiquity in the legacy of artists of different generations in the Cimmerian Art School. Author’s special contribution into the study is the coverage of creative path of a Crimean artist Stephan Mamchich (1924-1974).The scientific novelty consists in examination of the dynamics of visual text of a historical landscape in the Cimmerian Art School of the beginning and middle of the XX century.