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In order of general order. In the power of demons: the famous paintings of Mikhail Vrubel, created in a step from madness Mikhail Vrubel demon sitting style

In order of general order. In the power of demons: the famous paintings of Mikhail Vrubel, created in a step from madness Mikhail Vrubel demon sitting style

04.03.2020

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Right of preferential visit The Gallery, except as provided for by a separate order of the Gallery's management, is provided upon presentation of documents confirming the right to preferential visits:

pensioners (citizens of Russia and CIS countries),
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Visitors of the above categories of citizens purchase a reduced ticket in general order.

Right of free admission The main and temporary expositions of the Gallery, except for cases provided for by a separate order of the Gallery's management, are provided for the following categories of citizens upon presentation of documents confirming the right to free admission:

persons under the age of 18;
students of faculties specializing in the field of fine arts of secondary specialized and higher educational institutions of Russia, regardless of the form of education (as well as foreign students studying in Russian universities). The clause does not apply to persons presenting student cards of "trainee students" (in the absence of information about the faculty in the student card, a certificate from the educational institution with the obligatory indication of the faculty is presented);
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Visitors of the above categories of citizens receive an entrance ticket with a face value of "Free".

Please note that conditions for preferential admission to temporary exhibitions may vary. Check the exhibition pages for details.

January 15, 2012

Along with ancient mosaics, stones, carpets, ancient fabrics, Vrubel was attracted by the plastic beauty of flowers, in which the artist saw living jewels.

Demon (sitting)

1890; 114x211 cm; canvas, oil

The picture was painted in the first year of Vrubel's stay in Moscow, in the mansion of Savva Mamontov, where there was a workshop, which the owner of the house provided to the artist for work. But the idea to depict, as Vrubel put it, “something demonic” arose back in Kyiv under the influence of the opera by the Russian composer, pianist and conductor Anton Rubinstein “The Demon” and the poem of the same name by Mikhail Lermontov. In Vrubel's understanding, the Demon is neither a devil nor a devil, because "devil" in Greek simply means "horned", "devil" means "slanderer", and "Demon" means "soul".

The demon in the 1890 painting froze in a pose of expectation and contemplation. His figure is very enlarged, squeezed by the boundaries of the picture plane, which makes it look like a compressed spring, which has tremendous strength that cannot find a way out. Vrubel creates in the picture a balance between the figure and the environment. The powerful torso of the Demon separates equal-sized parts - huge unearthly flowers, occupying the entire plane of the canvas on the right, and heavenly space, opening on the left. In the coloring, built on the contrast of warm and cold tones, Blok rightly saw an analogy to Lermontov's:

“It looked like a clear evening:
Neither day nor night, neither darkness nor light.

The background, that is, the decorative space surrounding the Demon, is made in such a way that the painting looks like a mosaic - this is especially noticeable in crystal colors and sunset stripes. The torso and head of the Demon are written in pasty; the arms, shoulders, chest and neck of the giant are sculpted with broad strokes, his face, hair and luminous stones of the diadem are painted with thick small strokes. Such a large pasty brushstroke was an innovation in Russian painting in the 1890s.

Demon defeated

1902; 139x387 cm; canvas, oil
State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow

If "Demon (sitting)" symbolizes the Evening, then "Demon defeated" is an allegory of Sunset, where the motif of doom merges with the idea of grandiose splendor.

Vrubel's wife, who saw the canvas at the beginning of the work, said that it was not Lermontov's Demon, "but some kind of modern Nietzschean", and the artist himself wanted to give the painting the name Ikone (icon). Vrubel continued to rewrite the picture when it was already exhibited at the World of Art exhibition in 1902 in St. Petersburg. The features and expression of the face, the color scheme changed before the eyes of the public. Alexander Benois argued that Vrubel intensified in the Demon the features of torment, despair, "torturous twistedness."

The narrow, elongated format of the canvas emphasizes the tragic flattening of the light body. The rebellious character, the rebelliousness of the "Defeated" are expressed in the dim sparkle of eyes full of suffering and hatred, the gesture of wrinkled hands, in spreading wings. Metal varnishes with a luminous effect were used in the painting (they survived only in some fragments of the landscape environment and on the diadem), and bronze powder was used in the painting of peacock feathers.

Picture painted: 1890
Canvas, oil.
Size: 114 × 211 cm

Description of the painting by M. Vrubel “Seated Demon”

Artist: Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel
Name of the painting: "Seated Demon"
Picture painted: 1890
Canvas, oil.
Size: 114 × 211 cm

Pictures 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 the eyes of these "bad guys". Probably, filmmakers copied from them the images of the most famous cynics, whose souls not every woman can warm, but everyone wants.

First of all, the history of the creation of the painting “Seated Demon” is interesting. Many associate it with M. Yu. Lermontov's poem "The Demon" and they are right. M. Vrubel drew about 30 illustrations for the anniversary edition of the poet's works, among which is the same Demon. Now this picture is in the Tretyakov Gallery, excites the thoughts of more than one generation of people.

Against the background of a crimson sky, a young man sits, looking into the distance. In his eyes - pain, sadness, torment, surprise, but not remorse. Once upon a time, he was expelled from paradise and wandered the earth. The mountains of the Caucasus, the places where he is now, surround the Demon with their silence. The wanderer is alone, and all his deeds, terrible and immoral, will forever remain with him - the Almighty does not allow him to forget about them, "and he would not take oblivion."

The first parallel that comes to mind to everyone who has ever seen the “Seated Demon” is the tragedy of Aeschylus “Chained Prometheus” - the young man depicted in the picture seems not free in his 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 clothes. 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 blue sky. The Demon's robe, in the picture, is a rich blue color, which is also called the color of the "Moroccan night." Didn't Vrubel want to say something that Lermontov could not say, namely, that the Demon would still deserve forgiveness and return to heaven?

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

It is noteworthy that the very figure of the Demon and the color and shade of the evening sky are clearly drawn - from purple to purple, interspersed with a 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, there is no life in them. Many critics say they 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.

The color scheme of the picture is dominated by dark tones. The sky is bloody in color, and only it has smooth transitions. All other boundaries are clear, concretized. A row 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 in light shades of pastel with accentuated dark lines, his clothes are of 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 exacerbate the overall impression. There is a feeling of some kind of brute force that invaded the fragile world of nature.

The dimensions of the canvas on which the Demon is depicted are non-standard for that time - the picture is oblong, uncomfortable and cramped. In fact, this is one of Vrubel's artistic techniques - everything should emphasize the external and internal stiffness of the hero, and convey the same Lermontov's "neither day, nor night, neither darkness nor light."

It is amazing how strong the influence of Lermontov's work on M. Vrubel is. The poet's demon is not evil in its purest form, he is able to enjoy the beauty of the nature of the Caucasus and feel Tamara's grief, comfort her and demonically kill her with a kiss. Lermontov's hero is more of a rebel than a product of darkness and hell, seeking to destroy all life in its path. Vrubel said the same about his Demon. He, according to the painter, in vain is not distinguished from the devil and Satan, they do not delve into the origin of the name. The Greek synonym for the word "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 not on earth, not in heaven.

It is noteworthy that many of the critics of literature and art of the late 19th and early 20th centuries spoke about the "misunderstanding of Lermontov" by the artist. This was greatly facilitated by the deterioration of Vrubel's health and psyche. The latter gave rise to the legend of 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 himself 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 not known 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 its demons, the images of which are full on the Web. One thing can be said without a doubt - the demons of Vrubel torment the souls of many artists of our time.

Pictures of one of the most famous, and at the world level, Russian artists - attract and fascinate. First of all, these are his Demons ... It is impossible to pass by them without looking into the eyes of these "bad guys". Probably, filmmakers copied from them the images of the most famous cynics, whose souls not every woman can warm, but everyone wants.

The first parallel that comes to mind to everyone who has ever seen the "Seated Demon" is the tragedy of Aeschylus "Prometheus Chained" - the young man depicted in the picture seems not free in his own body and longs to get out of it, but he just does not know how.

The flowers depicted in the picture are somewhat similar to crystals, there is no life in them. Many critics say they are dead anemones.

The color scheme of the picture is dominated by dark tones. The sky is bloody in color, and only it has smooth transitions. All other boundaries are clear, concretized. A row of colors “black - red - blue” speaks of a certain danger, because the very word “demon” makes many people wary. Demons are considered merciless, and depicted in light shades of pastel with accentuated dark lines, his clothes are of a rich shade - this is how the artist demonstrates the duality of the hero.

Painting "Demon Seated"

The painting "Demon sitting" — this is the result of a connection in a time continuum of half a century of a literary image created by the great Russian poet Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov, with a visual image created by the no less brilliant Russian artist Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel. It is impossible to imagine any other image of the literary character of the poet than Vrubel's demon. According to modern expression, the artist's canvas is the hallmark of the poem "Demon". Poem by M.Yu. Lermontov painted for ten years from 1829 to 1839, the work on the image of the demon by the artist lasted 12 years. Vrubel Mikhail Alexandrovich began to write “The Demon Seated” in 1890, and it saw the light in 1891, he painted the painting “The Demon Flying” in 1899, and finished the painting “Demon Defeated” in 1902. This shows that both great artists searched for a long time and found in this image of a fallen angel, the "spirit of exile" a picture of the universe full of contradictions, the struggle of evil and good and the feeling of the inevitable victory of good over evil. However, Vrubel’s demons sometimes cause doubts about this victory, this is noticeable in one of the artist’s main works “The Demon Seated”.

Description of the painting by Vrubel “Seated Demon”

“The sad Demon, the spirit of exile” is an image that immediately arises from the first lines of the poem when looking at the canvas by M.A. Vrubel. The powerful torso of a sitting demon, hugging his knees with broken fingers, crowns a face full of longing and universal sorrow. The face of the fallen angel is sad and his gaze is dreary, fixed on the fading day in the lower corner of the canvas, against the background of a heavy lead-purple sky: “Neither day, nor night, neither darkness nor light! ..” The mosaic of stone flowers surrounding it, makes you believe in his unearthly essence. And the blue color of the cape on his knees emphasizes his divine origin: “Those days when he, a pure cherub, shone in the dwelling of light.” But all this is in the past: "The long outcast wandered in the wilderness of the world without shelter." Vrubel's demon is the personification of the spirit of exile, he often emphasized this in his descriptions and conversations with friends and tried to convey this state of mind.

The size of the picture, specially narrowed by Vrubel, limits the space of the demon, imprisoning him in it, as if making him a prisoner of the Creator. Maybe that's why there is so much hopelessness and indifference to the world around him in his eyes. The sunset of the day in the corner of the canvas can be interpreted as the sunset of mankind, the victory of evil over good. And he did this, sadly, but indifferently looking at the death of earthly life: “And everything that he saw before him, he despised or hated.” This is one interpretation, but the canvas allows for many interpretations of the plot, and they are made by art critics and artists from many countries. Surprising is their diversity and lack of similar views on the picture.

The mysterious philosophical essence of this picture is not recognized by many of its researchers immediately, this image is so complex and multifaceted. It should be noted that the artist himself made changes to the image of the demon for a long time, even to the already exhibited canvas in the art gallery. Researchers of the artist's work believe that the artist's fascination with the image of a demon and an attempt to show his unearthly essence, woven from contradictions, the hero's internal struggle between good and evil, led the artist to his mental disorder and illness. In the last years of his life, this theme became the main one in his work. The artist even admitted to relatives that the demon appeared to him live.

The history of the creation of the canvas

After moving from Kyiv to Moscow in 1890, the artist finds himself in an atmosphere of benevolent and interested attitude towards him of the Moscow world of artists and patrons. During this period, he became close to the artist Konstantin Korovin and the philanthropist Savva Mamontov. During the period (12 years) of his stay in Moscow, he created the largest number of masterpieces of his work. The history of his demoniad began in Kyiv, where he created the first image of a demon, which he destroyed there. And this is not the first work that he destroyed in the throes of his work. He wrote to his wife that he destroyed 1000 sheets of drawings and sketches in search of the image of his hero.

In Moscow, on the occasion of the anniversary of M.Yu. Lermontov, a two-volume edition of the poet was being prepared. Vrubel was not widely known as an artist and designer of literary publications, but he received an order to illustrate the poem "The Demon". Since the artist had long before been fascinated by the image in Lermontov's poem, he made several sketches and sketches, which probably played a role in choosing him to illustrate the two-volume book.

Vrubel painted 30 watercolor illustrations for the poem, including "Seated Demon". From these illustrations, the artist later, ten years later, created three huge canvases, the first of which was "Seated Demon". In the art workshop of Savva Mamontov, the main image of the demoniad was painted. The canvases were exhibited in an art gallery and received negative criticism from artistic circles, which, however, notes Vrubel's artistic talent. The artist's painting technique was especially noted, the basis of which was clear large and even brush strokes. This manner of writing canvases allows us to attribute his work to the representatives of Art Nouveau and the symbolism of Russian painting. Later, during the life of the author, the paintings were acquired by the Tretyakov Gallery, where they are still located.

Vrubel's "Seated Demon" is one of the artist's best paintings and the most famous in the art world. It does not leave anyone indifferent, neither an inexperienced young spectator, nor a wise art critic, in everyone it excites the imagination and causes a storm of emotions, causes a desire to see in the depths of the image of the “fallen angel”, what the great and brilliant master of the brush wanted to convey to us. My advice, visit the Tretyakov Gallery, go specifically to the painting by M. Vrubel "The Demon Seated", stand by him for a few minutes. You will discover an amazing unearthly world of the "spirit of exile", in which, perhaps, you will find answers to many earthly questions.