Vrubel M. A.
Демон
- 1894
- The State Russian Museum
Vrubel M. A.
Flying Demon
1899
SRM
Vrubel M. A.
Flying Demon
- 1899
- Canvas, oil
- 138,5 x 430,5
- The State Russian Museum
Like all other works by Mikhail Vrubel, Flying Demon is a profoundly sincere and confessional painting. The young Nietzschean hero cannot do evil, yet is unable to escape the chains of loneliness, the “inner dungeon” of his own making. Proud, melancholy and disdainful, he soars in the lifeless heights. Flying Demon was an extremely topical work. Combining the fin-de-siècle atmosphere with a strong element of autobiography, it expressed the moods of many Russians of that time.
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Sadko
By model 1899-1900
SRM
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Sadko
- Half-figure. By model 1899-1900
- The State Russian Museum
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
The Tsar of the Sea
Model 1899-1900
SRM
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
The Tsar of the Sea
- Model 1899-1900
- The State Russian Museum
In the1890s Mikhail Vrubel met the composer Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov and this friendship influenced the creative work of the artist. He produced a number of sets and a series of sculptures in which one can see the motifs from the pieces of the composer. Among them there is the Tsar of the Sea, a character from the opera “Sadko”. The head of the lord of the sea appears as if from the deep.
The expression of the face of “Ancient Poseidon” is full of tenderness and sadness before parting with his daughter Volhova. The lively impressionist modelling enabled Vrubel to find such decorative representation that showed, in the atmosphere of the legendary subject, its musical qualities. Mostly thanks to this, the sculpture fits organically in the interiors of Art Nouveu style. It was exhibited at the World of Art exhibition and at the Lemercier Gallery in Moscow in 1915.
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Tsar Berendey
Model 1899-1900
SRM
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Tsar Berendey
- Model 1899-1900
- The State Russian Museum
The work in the Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop fascinated Vrubel with the idea of revival of national art and creation of a new Russian style. The foundation of Vrubel’s subjects are folktales, legends, songs and folklore images.
The wise tsar of the land of the Berendeyans from the fairy tale “Snow Maiden” by Alexander Ostrovsky is one the favourite images of the artist. The sorrowful death of the Snow Maiden and the awful death of her beloved Mizgir (he drowned himself in the lake) are sacrifices that makes the anger of Yarilo fade and the mythological Berendeyans would be rewarded with a happy life. The artist depicted Tsar Berendey in that moment when he took an uneasy but the only one right decision in his mind. Art historians suggest that the fairy-tale character bears some resemblance to the composer, the author of the opera “Snow Maiden”, Nikolay Rimsky-Korsakov with whom the artist was very friendly. “Tsar Berendey” was exhibited at all expositions of Vrubel’s majolica works starting from the exhibition “World of Art” in 1900.
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Блюдо "Садко"
1899–1900
SRM
Vrubel M. A., Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
Блюдо "Садко"
- 1899–1900
- 66 x 53 (овал)
- The State Russian Museum
Vrubel M. A.
Морская царевна
1899–1900
SRM
Vrubel M. A.
Морская царевна
- 1899–1900
- 60 x 30 x 24
- The State Russian Museum
Vrubel Mikhail Alexandrovich
1856, Omsk - 1910, St Petersburg
Painter, draughtsman, theatrical designer, applied artist, portraitist, writer of philosophical Symbolist compositions. Studied law at St Petersburg University (1874-79) and art under Pavel Chistyakov at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1880-84). Academician of painting (1905). Member of the Abramtsevo circle (from 1889). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1891). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Moscow Fellowship of Artists (1895, 1899, 1904), Exhibition of Russian and Finnish Artists (1898), World of Art (1900-03, 1906; member from 1900, 1911), 36 Artists (1901, 1902), Union of Russian Artists (1903-10; founding member), Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900; gold medal) and the International Exhibitions in Vienna (1901) and Venice (1907). Designed for Sawa Mamontov\'\'s Russian Private Opera (1890-1901).
Abramtsevo Pottery Workshop
