Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel the demon sitting 1890 1. Description of the plot of Vrubel’s painting “The Demon Seated

The painting was painted during the first year of Vrubel’s stay in Moscow, in the house of Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, where there was a studio, which the owner gave to Vrubel for work.
But the idea of ​​depicting a demon or, as Vrubel put it, “something demonic” arose back in Kyiv.

Showing the first sketches to his father in the fall of 1886, Vrubel said that the Demon is a spirit “not so much evil as suffering and sorrowful, but for all that, a powerful, ... majestic spirit.”

“He argued,” another memoirist testifies, “that in general the “Demon” is not understood - they are confused with the devil and the devil, while the devil in Greek simply means “horned”, the devil means “slanderer”, and “Demon” means “soul” ".

For Alexander Blok, this image embodied the “hulk of Lermontov’s thought” about divine boredom.

It is divine, as one might guess, because in it it drowns, is forgotten, evil itself is lost - “and evil has become boring to him.”

Boredom is more powerful and primary than evil.
In the poet’s mind, Vrubel’s Demon is “a young man in the oblivion of “Boredom”, as if exhausted from some kind of worldly embrace.”
In this phrase by Blok, the word “Boredom” is capitalized: it is written as a proper name, and also placed in quotation marks, thus referring to the title of the work, which is assumed to be known to the reader.

This work is, without a doubt, the Introduction that opens Baudelaire's Flowers of Evil.
By that time, Baudelaire had long had a reputation as the “father of decadents,” while some critics saw Vrubel as the personification of decadence on Russian soil.

The aforementioned poem paints an image of all-consuming Boredom, which surpasses the monsters and chimeras previously created by the imagination of mankind, personifying evil and vice:

"She will give up the whole world for destruction, /
She will consume the world with one yawn."

In Vrubel’s coloristic inflorescences, “in the struggle of gold and blue,” Blok saw, and quite rightly, an analogy to Lermontov’s:

"It looked like a clear evening: /
Neither day nor night - neither darkness nor light."

And, therefore, as an image - a sign of coloristic tonality, Vrubel's Demon is the one who is called and sent to “conjure the night” (“the blue twilight of the night,” writes Blok, “hesitates to drown gold and mother-of-pearl”).
He is an "angel" clear evening", that is, again a personification, an allegory, but not of the transitory earthly, but of the endlessly lasting universal Evening.

The paintings of one of the most famous, and at the world level, Russian artists - M. Vrubel, attract and fascinate. First of all, these are his Demons... It is impossible to pass by them without looking into their eyes with these “ bad guys" Probably, filmmakers copied the images of the most famous cynics from them, whose souls not every woman can warm, but every woman wants to.
First of all, the history of the creation of the painting “Demon Seated” is interesting.

Many people associate it with M. Yu. Lermontov’s poem “The Demon” and they are right. M. Vrubel drew about 30 illustrations for anniversary edition the poet's works, among which is that same Demon. This painting is now in Tretyakov Gallery, excites the thoughts of more than one generation of people.

A young man sits against the background of a crimson sky, looking into the distance. In his eyes there is pain, sadness, torment, surprise, but not repentance. Once upon a time he was expelled from paradise and wandered the earth. The Caucasus Mountains, the places where he is now, surround the Demon with their silence.

The wanderer is lonely, and all his deeds, terrible and immoral, will remain with him forever - the Almighty does not allow him to forget about them, “and he would not accept oblivion.”

The first parallel that comes to mind for everyone who has at least once seen the “Seated Demon” is Aeschylus’s tragedy “Prometheus Bound” - the young man depicted in the picture seems unfree in own body and longs to get out of it, but he just doesn’t know how.

The second association is the color of Vrubel’s character’s clothing. If you remember the paintings and icons that depicted God, Jesus and the Virgin Mary, then pay attention to the fact that blue colors predominate in their clothes or they are depicted against a background blue sky. The Demon's Robe, in the picture, is rich of blue color, which is also called the color of the “Moroccan night”. Didn’t Vrubel want to say what Lermontov could not say, namely, that the Demon would still earn forgiveness and return to heaven?

Another parallel is the pose of the character in the picture - he is sitting. At all times, it was in this position that a person sat, who was depicted as thoughtful, sad and sad. Later, other artists began to use the “demon pose”, because it conveys grief, all-encompassing and irresistible. His hands are closed “in a lock” - psychologists say that this is how closed people or those who have something to hide behave. These limbs of the Demon are not raised, not rested on the sides, they are simply lowered limply - he is tired of wandering. The artist clearly describes the developed muscles young man, his gaze, flowing black hair.

It is noteworthy that the figure of the Demon itself and the color and shade of the evening sky are clearly drawn - from violet to purple, interspersed with the golden sun illuminating the horizon in the background. The rest of the composition of the picture has a certain dissonance - the strokes are rough and blurry, mosaic and flat.

The flowers depicted in the picture are somewhat similar to crystals; they have no life. Many critics say that these are dead anemones.

If you look at “The Seated Demon” from a long distance, you get the feeling that this is not a painting, but a stained glass window or panel. To achieve this effect, the artist worked with a palette knife, painstakingly cleaning it with a knife.

IN color scheme The paintings are dominated by dark tones. The sky is bloody color, and it is the only one that has smooth transitions. All other boundaries are clear and specified. The range of colors “black - red - blue” speaks of a certain danger, because the very word “demon” makes many people wary. Demons are considered merciless, and Vrubel's hero is depicted light shades pastels with emphatically dark lines, his clothes in a rich shade - this is how the artist demonstrates the duality of the hero.

The golden sun, white shades of flowers, red sky, orange reflections of the sunset should set you in a positive mood, but they only aggravate general impression. One gets the feeling of some brute force that has invaded the fragile world of nature.
The dimensions of the canvas on which the Demon is depicted are non-standard for that time - the painting is oblong, uncomfortable and cramped. In fact, this is one of the artistic techniques Vrubel - everything should emphasize the external and internal constraint of the hero, and convey that same Lermontov “neither day nor night, neither darkness nor light.”

It is amazing how strong the influence of Lermontov’s work on M. Vrubel is. For the poet, the demon is not evil pure form, he is able to enjoy the beauty of the nature of the Caucasus and feel Tamara’s grief, console her and demonically kill her with a kiss.

Lermontov's hero is more of a rebel than a creature of darkness and hell, seeking to destroy all life in his path. Vrubel said the same about his Demon. According to the painter, it is in vain that they do not differentiate him from the devil and Satan, and do not delve into the origin of the name. The Greek synonym for “devil” is “horned,” and “devil” means “slanderer.” The inhabitants of Hellas called a demon a soul that rushes about in search of the meaning of life, unable to pacify the passions that boil in its soul. He does not find answers to his questions either on earth or in heaven.

What is noteworthy is that many of the critics of literature and art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries spoke about the artist’s “misunderstanding of Lermontov.” This was greatly facilitated by the deterioration of Vrubel’s health and psyche. The latter gave rise to a legend about a man of art who sold his soul to Satan.

...After the exhibition dedicated to the anniversary of M. Lermontov’s work opened, M. Vrubel closed in his studio and continued to work on paintings about demons. The painter claimed that the Demon changed not only under the strokes of his brush, but also appeared to him live. Well, the artist fought with a fallen and exiled angel, and it is unknown who emerged victorious from this war.

Vrubel's work is mysterious and mystical. If you have not yet made sure of this, visit the Tretyakov Gallery or look at his demons, images of which are full of images on the Internet. One thing can be said without a doubt - Vrubel’s demons torment the souls of many contemporary artists.

Vrubel and the Demon: the history of the creation of the mystical work artist

The demon is defeated. 1901. Sketch

“My dear wife, wonderful woman, save me from my demon, which beckons that the hours of meeting, the hours of separation should be neither joy nor sorrow....

You know, during these almost 6 months I tore up about 1000 sheets of paper and destroyed everything,” - this is what M.A. Vrubel wrote to his wife, opera singer N.I. Zabela - Vrubel at the end of 1902.

The idea of ​​​​creating the image of the Demon took possession of the artist much earlier. Back in the mid-1890s, close friends of the family and frequent guests of their home indicated in their memoirs that there were sketches and sketches of the Demon everywhere - either he stood with his hands clasped behind his head in anguish, or he soared high in the sky, spreading his magic wings , then rested on the rocks of the Caucasus. As if captivated by his “hero,” Mikhail Alexandrovich depicted him on scraps of letters, on the margins of newspapers, on scraps of paper, often reciting Lermontov’s lines “sad demon, spirit of exile.”

As usual, being present at his wife’s performances, and according to the recollections of his contemporaries, always worried and eagerly following her playing and singing, as soon as the next action ended, “Mikhail Alexandrovich hurried backstage and, like the most careful costume designer, was precise in all the details of the upcoming costume to the next act, and so on until the end of the opera... He adored her!”

When the premiere production of A.G. Rubinstein’s opera “The Demon” took place on the stage of the Russian Private Opera in 1897, Vrubel watched it “like a wounded man,” not paying attention to Nadezhda Ivanovna playing the role of Tamara, he was waiting for the main character of the play! As soon as the performer of the Demon’s part appeared on stage, Vrubel “covered his eyes with his hands and, as if stung, said through his teeth: “Not this, not that!”...

Mikhail Vrubel and Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel

For a number of years the artist, tormented mental disorders, tried to embody in art the image of a defeated, broken, but rebellious Spirit that haunted him. In 1902, at the exhibition of the magazine "World of Art", a sketch for the future painting "The Demon Defeated" (1901, Tretyakov Gallery) was presented, which, although it was acquired by the Council of the Tretyakov Gallery, received mixed assessment public and art criticism. Thus, the painter N.K. Roerich wrote: “The appearance of his little demon in the Tretyakov Gallery worries and angers us.”

Accompanying throughout creative biography Vrubel's disapproval of his paintings and non-recognition of his talent did not stop the master from further working on the work. As V.V. von Meck recalled, who looked into the artist’s house in Lubyansky Proezd, “next to the living room there was a small room decorated with an arch. In it, the entire length, from window to wall, stood a huge canvas. Vrubel with rope and coal broke it into squares. His face was excitedly cheerful. “I’m starting,” he said.

A few days later I visited him again. Mikhail Aleksandrovich worked hard, sometimes all night long. On the canvas there was already an almost completed, brilliant drawing of the Demon. Subsequently, Vrubel significantly changed the drawing of the Demon, even changing the pose, throwing both hands behind his head. Vrubel explained all these changes by the desire to move further away from nature, fearing realism, a too earthly idea of ​​the spirit.

Of all the countless drawings of the Demon, Vrubel especially loved one<…>and did not part with it, always carried it in his pocket, often during a conversation he took it out and looked at it and drew from it on a large canvas.

Soon the canvas turned out to be short in composition, and Vrubel himself, rolling up his sleeves, began to carefully sew the extension at the Demon’s feet.”

And one day, when the work was already considered completed, Mikhail Alexandrovich joyfully ran into the dining room with a piece of sugar paper in his hands. "What a divine tone! What beauty!" - he was delighted. He glued this piece of sugar paper to the Demon’s torn clothes and wrote it down to match the paper.

This fragment still survives in the painting!

A little later, Vrubel sent an unexpected note to von Meck asking him to send photographs. Caucasus mountains: “I won’t sleep until I get them!” After immediately receiving photographs of Elbrus and Kazbek, that night pearl peaks grew behind the figure of the Demon, “shrouded in the eternal cold of death.”

The demon is defeated. 1902

Those who came to visit the sick artist I.S. Ostroukhov, V.A. Serov and A.P. Botkina (daughter of P.M. Tretyakov) saw the artist’s painting and comradely pointed out to him that the image was incorrect from an anatomical point of view right hand Demon. “Vrubel, turning very pale, directly shouted at Serov in a voice that was not his own:

You don’t know anything about drawing, but you’re trying to point me out!
And he went to hurl curses. Ladies: Botkina and Vrubel’s wife were very embarrassed. Quite calmly I turned to Vrubel:
- Why are you, Mikhail Alexandrovich, leaving guests without red wine? You call to your place, but don’t bring wine.
Vrubel instantly calmed down and spoke in his usual tone:
- Now, now, darling, champagne!
Some wine appeared, but we tried not to talk anymore about the “Demon” and soon left with a heavy feeling in our souls.”

As members of the Tretyakov Gallery Council, Serov, Ostroukhov and Botkina discussed for a long time the issue of acquiring the painting in museum collection, but they considered the artist’s introduction of bronze powders into the paint layer to be an important drawback of the work, which over time would have changed the color of the entire canvas beyond recognition.

As Ostroukhov recalled: “The council was already entering into negotiations with the artist about painting “The Demon” with normal colors on a new canvas for the gallery, when a disaster happened... it was impossible to suspect that this would be the artist’s last work. Vrubel was young, in the prime of his life and talent, and even more significant works were expected from him in the future.”

“The Defeated Demon” was purchased from the author for 3,000 rubles by V.V. von Meck, who received a joyful note about the completion of work on the canvas: “Last night I was completely in despair with my work. It suddenly seemed to me completely and completely unsuccessful. But today I gave a general battle to everything unsuccessful and unfortunate in the picture and, it seems, won!”

A few years later, in 1908, the Tretyakov Gallery Council bought this work from the owner, which became currently one of the central ones in the museum's exhibition.

Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910) was a Russian artist who is often considered the founder of the Art Nouveau style in his country. He himself, however, eschewed any specific description of his style, and during his lifetime he was sometimes seen as an artist outside standard labels. During his life, he went through periods of recognition and disfavor, but, in due time, his paintings began to be seen as an important part of Russian artistic culture.

Vrubel was raised by his father, as his mother died when he was three years old. IN early years Vrubel wanted to become a lawyer like his father. He went to St. Petersburg University to study law, but upon graduation, in 1880, he entered the Academy of Arts. The years of study at the Academy were happy for Vrubel. There he met his wife, opera singer Nadezhda Zabela. After the wedding, in 1896, they moved to Moscow. IN last years life, Vrubel suffered from mental illness, his vision deteriorated and he had to give up painting.

Vrubel became a significant figure in the Russian art world in 1890, when he created his most famous paintings, one of which is “The Seated Demon.” This picture was called disgusting by some critics, and one commentator went so far as to accuse Vrubel of achieving “savage ugliness” in part. But this is highly controversial, since this work has also attracted significant praise. Savva Mamontov, famous philanthropist of that time, was so amazed by Vrubel’s “enchanting symphony” that he openly called the artist a genius and hired him to paint the interior of his home and the interiors of the mansions of his friends.

Many of the most famous works Mikhail Vrubel, were written during the years he spent in Moscow with his wife. A number of them are based on fairy tales and Russian traditional folk stories. The first of these was “Pan” in 1899, followed by next year, followed by “Lilac” and “The Swan Princess”. In 1901, Vrubel painted an impressive painting, “The Defeated Demon.” He repeatedly redrew the demon's face, even after the work was presented to the public. His declining health prevented him from continuing his work at such a pace, although he still continued to paint paintings of a more mystical nature, such as The Pearl (1904).

The paintings of Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel had a distinctive, special style. He was highly skilled not only in drawing, but also in many other forms. artistic creativity. These included ceramics, stained glass, and even manufacturing theatrical costumes, scenery and props. In their more later years, he preferred to use, in a fragmentary composition, an “unfinished touch,” as he himself called it. Initially, Vrubel used rather muted tones, but after his work painting the Kyiv St. Cyril Church in the 1880s, he changed his style to include bolder and more saturated colors.

Vrubel was especially passionate about the creation process, sometimes neglecting his finished works. Because of this, many of his early paintings, and even some more late works have deteriorated noticeably. "The Demon Seated" is no exception. Vrubel wanted to partially give it shine, sparkling appearance, he wanted to achieve this by mixing oil and small particles of bronze. Over the years, the bronze has faded, dulling the original striking visual effect.

The hero was used to conceive the plot of this picture romantic poem Mikhail Lermontov with same name. This work, written in the late 1830s, tells the story of how a demon fell in love with a Georgian princess, who dies as a result of his kiss. After this, she was saved by the angels, while he was doomed to spend eternity alone. This story fits perfectly with the romantic temperament, and is completely unsuitable for realist artists. Vrubel described the demon as follows: a demon is a spirit that “combines in itself a male and female appearance, not so much evil as suffering and sorrowful, but for all that, a powerful spirit... majestic” and “personifies the eternal struggle of the restless human spirit.” Note the otherworldly expression in the Demon's eyes (the opposite of the expression in Perov's portrait of Turgenev, for example), perhaps symbolizing the existence of a world beyond the everyday. Also note the background, which is filled with symbolic images of a fiery red sunset (fire often symbolizes the end of the world) and mysterious, unrealistic colors.

Painting: 1890
Canvas, oil.
Size: 114 × 211 cm

Illustration "Demon Seated"

It is obvious that the image of the picture itself is collective, and researchers agree that Lermontov himself veiled all the figures in the hero of his work Russian art. Vrubel also picked up this theme. Agree, who else but creative person becomes a beacon in the darkness for ordinary people. Who, if not a writer, artist, composer, pushes the “blind” towards the truth with their works. Vrubel’s “Demon” is, in fact, himself, and not only him. This same demon was Lermontov. Pushkin, Tolstoy, Tchaikovsky can be considered the same demon. This demon is a man who has learned the nature of beauty, trying to bring it to every home, while suffering one failure after another.

Speaking about the artistic execution of the painting, one cannot fail to mention its unique style. It was written with Vrubel's characteristic characteristic features. The effect of crystalline edges is especially striking, which makes the paintings more like stained glass painting or panels. Vrubel’s “Demon” seems to be carved from stone. The artist was able to achieve such a performance by using a palette knife (a special knife) when creating the work, applying flat strokes on the canvas. In his painting, Mikhail Alexandrovich successfully combined painting and sculpture. The presence of crystalline forms in Vrubel’s work is also no coincidence; with their help, the artist emphasized the nature of the image, its mysticism, and versatility.

This picture can be considered one of the most famous works Mikhail Alexandrovich. The series was continued in 1899, when the artist painted the painting “The Flying Demon.” In 1902, being seriously ill, Vrubel, who stoically accepted the blows of fate, finished painting the third painting - “The Defeated Demon.” On this canvas main character is on the verge of death, like the artist himself.

Description of the plot of Vrubel’s painting “The Seated Demon”

Artist: Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel
Title of the painting: “Demon Seated”
Painting: 1890
Canvas, oil.
Size: 114 × 211 cm

Many critics, mentioning the work of Mikhail Vrubel, and especially his “demons,” cannot help but recall the legacy that the artist left behind. His work became iconic in that era, the era of the formation of Russian symbolism; it, like the works of Russian classics of literature and music, personifies the desire creative personality to something beautiful, to ephemeral, intangible spiritual beauty.

Vrubel Mikhail Alexandrovich was born in 1856 in Omsk. His father, a combat officer, insisted that Mikhail receive a prestigious education, therefore future artist was sent to St. Petersburg University, to the Faculty of Law. Inquisitive creative soul Vrubel never gravitated towards legal sciences, which, however, did not prevent him from graduating from university with a gold medal. Then, Mikhail was drafted into the army and, after serving his military service, received the rank of reserve bombardier. In the fall of 1880, Vrubel was accepted to study at the Imperial Academy of Arts.

Mikhail Alexandrovich's works were imbued with originality and symbolism, even from the time of his training in creative skills. It was these qualities that brought the artist unshakable fame and recognition.

Initially, Vrubel’s “demons” were just illustrations that the artist timed to coincide with the release of the anniversary edition of the works of the Russian poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov. In 1891, Mikhail Alexandrovich completed about 30 drawings for this collection, most of which reflected the poem “Demon”. Most famous paintings, which the artist later transferred to canvas, were “Seated Demon”, “Flying Demon” and “Prostrate Demon”.

Illustration "Demon Seated" was painted by the artist in 1890. It is kept to this day in the State Tretyakov Gallery. In fact, a similar work on canvas, which is dated the same year, is also stored there. Mikhail wrote it in the house of the most famous philanthropist of those days, Savva Ivanovich Mamontov, who sympathized with many famous artists of that time: Serov, Vasnetsov, Korovin.

The plot of the painting was inspired by the artist after he read the work of M.Yu. Lermontov "Demon". Despite the fact that the demonic nature of the painted creature is visible to the naked eye, the very message of the picture is far from outdated dogmas. Usually, when talking about demons, especially under the strict religious canons of that time, a person is presented with an image of otherworldly evil, something insanely stupid and cruel. Vrubel's demon is completely different, just like Lermontov's demon. In general, the above-mentioned creators were united in many of their ideas, and if Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel became the flagship of the symbolism movement among artists, then Mikhail Yuryevich took on the same role, only in his writing craft.

The idea of ​​both the painting and the described image is generally the same. What appears before us is not a bloodthirsty fanged monster, but a much more sophisticated creature. Vrubel himself, speaking about the hero of his work, described him this way: “The demon is not so much an evil spirit as a suffering and sorrowful one, but at the same time powerful and majestic.” The symbol of this picture is obvious; it largely coincides with the ideas about demons of the ancient philosopher Plato, who considered these creatures “mediators between people and gods, who helps man overcome his life path, in order to comprehend the beauty of death, and with it, the highest plan.” It is obvious that the sad look of the hero of the picture and his direction into the distance, his pose, which is permeated with despair, all this indicates the completely human original essence of the demon. At the same time, the extraterrestrial, ephemeral origin of the hero of the picture becomes the background for the surging emotions. Lonely, knowing everything he does common man happy day after day, the demon can no longer find peace in the world of the living. That’s why we look sadly into the distance, somewhere towards the setting sun, in search of answers, the discovery of which does not give satisfaction, but only encourages new searches. The creature seeks liberation, the rebirth of its essence. Who is this demon?

Seated Demon (1890)

In 1891, M. Vrubel drew 30 illustrations for the new anniversary edition of the works of the Russian poet M.Yu. Lermontov. Most of illustrations are dedicated to Lermontov’s poem “The Demon”. The first sketch of the painting entitled “Seated Demon” was drawn in 1890; it is kept in the same place as the original - in the State Tretyakov Gallery. And the picture itself was painted in Moscow in the house of S. Mamontov.

The plot of this picture was created by Vrubel after he read Lermontov’s “Demon”. After he painted this picture, the artist wrote the following words about his work: “The demon is not so much an evil spirit as a suffering and sorrowful one, but at the same time powerful and majestic.”

At all times, the demon has represented the image of a person’s strength of spirit, his internal struggle and doubts. The demon painting shows a seated sad demon with his hands clasped tragically. His eyes are very sad, they look into the distance, they are surrounded by invisible flowers. The demon sits alone in the middle of the mountains, surrounded by a scarlet sunset. Looking at this picture, you get the feeling that the artist caught one of his Demons and put it in a frame.

The painting is painted in the individual style characteristic of this artist, in which there are effects of crystalline edges, so this painting looks more like a panel or stained glass window. The artist was able to achieve this effect through the use of flat palette knife strokes.

“Seated Demon” is the most famous of Vrubel’s Demons. In 1899, He painted the painting “The Flying Demon,” in which he depicted the Demon in the form of the ruler of the world. And from 1901 to 1902 M. Vrubel completed it last job- “The Demon Defeated,” in which the Demon was on the verge of death.

Did the Demons depicted by the artist take the life of Vrubel himself? This is just an assumption, but after looking at these paintings carefully, you will understand that they are not more mysterious in the whole world.

“For about a month now I have been writing the Demon, that is, not exactly a monumental Demon, which I will write in due course, but the “demonic” - a half-naked, winged, young, sadly pensive figure sitting, hugging his knees, against the backdrop of the sunset and looking at the blooming a clearing from which branches stretch out to her, bending under flowers,” Vrubel wrote to his sister about working on the canvas.

This demon is the personification of the strength of the human spirit, internal struggle, doubt. Clasping his hands, he looks into the distance. His eyes are wide, full of anxiety. In the background are mountains in a scarlet sunset. It seems that the demon is cramped, his figure is tightly squeezed between the upper and lower crossbars of the frame.

The theme of the demonic is a cross-cutting theme in Vrubel’s work. Mythical entities, according to the artist’s idea, were messengers, suffering and mournful. In his paintings they herald a different world.

"Flying Demon", 1899

After “The Seated Demon” the artist will also take on the flying one defeated demons. And if the first is shown strong, with powerful wings, then the last is already with empty, glassy eyes, and the plumage is turned into decorative peacock feathers.

Context

During the creation of the triptych, Vrubel was generally healthy, although those around him noted his irritability. “All relatives and acquaintances noticed that something was wrong with Mikhail Alexandrovich, but they also constantly doubted it, since there was never any nonsense in his speeches, he recognized everyone, remembered everything. He only became much more self-confident, stopped being shy with people and talked incessantly,” his wife Elena Zabela wrote to her sister.

It ended with the artist having to be hospitalized in a state of manic excitement. psychiatric clinic. Vrubel imagined himself either as Christ or Pushkin, then he was going to become the Moscow governor-general, then he turned into a Russian sovereign. He heard choirs of voices, claimed that he lived during the Renaissance and painted walls in the Vatican in the company of Raphael and Michelangelo. Vrubel was examined by psychiatrist V.M. Bekhterev, who was the first to discover damage to the artist’s nervous system.

"The Demon Defeated", 1902

The fate of the artist

Mikhail Vrubel grew quite an ordinary child. In the gymnasium, he was most interested in natural science. He drew rather for general development. Gradually, however, Misha became more and more interested in painting. After high school, it was decided to go to St. Petersburg and enroll in law school. In the capital, his bohemian life spun. Vrubel did not finish the course.

Mikhail Vrubel

At this time he was interested in philosophy and made illustrations for literary works. Acquaintance with bohemia and new hobbies led Vrubel to think about entering the Academy of Arts. But he was unable to finish it either, despite the fact that, under the influence of Valentin Serov, he replaced dandyism with asceticism.

The test of life has begun. Vrubel went to Kyiv to paint churches. There he was visited by his father, Alexander Mikhailovich Vrubel. Mikhail’s life horrified him: “No warm blanket, no warm coat, no dress except the one he’s wearing... It’s painful, bitter to the point of tears.” My father also saw the first version of “The Demon,” which disgusted him. Then the artist destroyed the painting, like many other things he created in Kyiv.

At that time, he didn’t really have any orders; he had to earn money by teaching and doing small part-time jobs. Vrubel moved to Moscow by accident, most likely due to his passion for being a circus rider.

Despite the fact that the artist’s work was not accepted and was called ugly and blasphemous, he did not abandon his bohemian lifestyle. According to the memoirs of K. Korovin, having received a large fee for picturesque panels for the mansion, he disposed of it as follows: “He gave lunch at the Paris Hotel, where he lived. He invited everyone living there to this dinner. When I came late from the theater, I saw tables covered with bottles of wine, champagne, a lot of people, among the guests were gypsies, guitarists, an orchestra, some military men, actors, and Misha Vrubel treated everyone, like a head waiter he carried champagne wrapped in a napkin and poured it for everyone. “I’m so happy,” he told me. - I feel like a rich man. Look how good everyone is and how happy they are. All five thousand are gone, and there is still not enough. And Vrubel worked hard for two months to cover the debt.”

At the turn of the century, Vrubel met the singer Nadezhda Zabela and proposed to her almost on the day of the meeting. In 1901, their son was born. The family's lifestyle has changed dramatically. Zabela refused to be a wet nurse and, for the sake of her son, decided to leave the stage for a while. To support his wife and child, Vrubel had to work more: instead of his usual 3-4 hours, he worked 14 hours a day.

Portrait of the Artist's Son, 1902

Overexertion, exhaustion, depression - the artist began to go crazy. Rumors about Vrubel's illness spread throughout the newspapers. Meanwhile, society's attitude towards his work changed. Benois and Diaghilev, in order to support the artist, organized an exhibition of his works in November 1902. And although the criticism was not so sharp, no one, including doctors, believed in Vrubel’s recovery.

Six months later, when the painter’s condition seemed to begin to improve, the son of Vrubel and Zabela died. The artist fell into severe depression and wanted to commit suicide, for which he starved himself. The symptoms were exactly the opposite of the last time: instead of delusions of grandeur, there was delirium of self-abasement and hallucinations.

For the last 4 years, Vrubel lived in a clinic, completely blind and immersed in the world of his hallucinations. His sister was his nurse, and his wife visited him from time to time. On the eve of his death, Vrubel cleaned himself up, washed himself with cologne and at night said to the orderly who was caring for him: “Nikolai, I’ve had enough of lying here - let’s go to the Academy.” The next day, the coffin was installed at the Academy of Arts.