No matter how sad it is to talk about it, but many ingenious people were not appreciated during their lifetime. From books on history, we can conclude that the past was rather cruel and somewhat wild. Thus, many architects, artists, philosophers or writers were an example of shame for citizens. Some of them were executed, others were tortured, and still others were completely gone. Nevertheless, after their death, everything changed dramatically. And that âdirtâ, as people called the work of talented personalities, today is called a real masterpiece, which, it seems, can not be repeated by anyone. Works are admired, inspired, and sometimes simply cannot take their eyes off such perfection.
Mikhail Vrubel - artist of the nineteenth and twentieth centuries
On March 5 (17), 1856, little Mikhail Vrubel was born into the family of a combat officer. After several decades, he became famous throughout the Russian Empire, and in different genres of art. A talented man showed excellent results in graphics, painting, decorative sculpture and theater. He was a multifaceted man who never rested on his laurels. He presented the world with unsurpassed murals, decorative panels, wonderful paintings and book illustrations. Vrubel was considered a very complex person and artist. At that time, not everyone could unravel the essence of his paintings or understand what the bends of his sculptures mean.
From childhood, Mikhail loved to draw and enjoy the charming scenery around. When he was eighteen years old, his father decided that the young man should go to law school at the University of St. Petersburg. At that time, Mikhail was completely indifferent to this science and went to study only because of the will of Vrubel Sr. He was fond of Kant's philosophy, attended performances, falling in love with theatrical actresses, argued about art and constantly painted. Everything that crossed his mind soon appeared on canvas.
The life of a great artist
Vrubelâs creativity is often associated precisely with the year 1880. During this period, Mikhail studied at the Imperial Academy of Arts and created his first masterpieces. All teachers saw the leadership and superiority of the young man over other students. The first watercolors that conquered the entire Academy were Feasting Romans and Introduction to the Temple. It was in a higher educational institution that the changes in the young man were visible. From an irresponsible, windy boy, he became a talented and strong man. Pictures M.A. Vrubel was so captivated by the teachers and guests of the Academy that after a while Professor Prakhov invited Mikhail to Kiev. He invited him to work on the restoration of the Cyril Church. Vrubel, in turn, agreed and began to paint icons. He created unsurpassed wall paintings, portrayed the Virgin and Child, Cyril, Christ and Athanasius.
In addition, the great artist made sketches intended for the restoration of Vladimir Cathedral. In the end, Mikhail worked in Kiev for about five years and became much wiser, more diligent, and developed his talent until the next stage of creativity. After 1889, the artist changed his work, which is only worth the picture, which is often popularly called the âDemon of Vrubelâ.
Further work in the field of art
For about three years, the great artist was engaged in applied art. This period is called Abramtsevsky. Briefly describe the work of Mikhail Vrubel by the following achievements: he created the project of the facade of the Mamontovâs house and the sculpture âMask of the Lionâ.
One way or another, for many, painting is the main area in which Mikhail Vrubel worked. His paintings were with a deep meaning, which each person interpreted them in his own way. A talented artist never paid attention to the framework and rules; he created and achieved truly magnificent results. In his youth, Mikhail was boldly entrusted with huge projects, as customers were confident in their luxurious and quick implementation.
Vrubel worked with the best craftsmen and architects, among whom Fedor Shekhtel stood out vividly. Together they designed the legendary mansion of Savva Morozov. It should be noted that Mikhail also took part in exhibitions, participated in the design of performances, and even once went on tour with the troupe of the Russian private opera Mamontov.
Mikhail Vrubel adored the work of Lermontov, as well as the spiritual world and the life of his idol. He tried to imitate him and sometimes expressed the emotions lurking in his soul on the canvases of his unsurpassed paintings. Mikhail Alexandrovich was a strong personality and tried to give tragedy and perseverance to his every work. It was the painting âDemonâ by Vrubel that successfully combined the features of romanticism, sadness and ambiguity. Many art connoisseurs tried to explain what the image was, what meaning it had and what the author wanted to convey with these strokes.
The painting "Demon"
Vrubel's âDemonâ is an image of a real tragedy, which nevertheless denies evil. Its essence is that a noble person stands for the side of goodness, but can do nothing with the powers of darkness. Evil wins anyway, it draws on the powerless and controls it for selfish, vile purposes. Here many writers draw a parallel between Lermontov and Vrubel. In the first, the demon is not the creator of evil, but only its creature, and Mikhail Alexandrovich perfectly understands this. He is trying to portray the contrast of colors on the canvas so that everyone who sees the picture immediately and unconditionally understands where evil is and where is good. Summing up, we note that the "Demon" of Vrubel is nothing more than a struggle between two forces: light and darkness. Of course, each person decides what is more powerful, and some argue that the author gives preference to the powers of darkness.
Note that the hero is also not a frightened, lost man. He is strong, powerful, confident, and by the will of events he has no choice. The hero must contemplate what is happening. From this he becomes powerless (this is evidenced by the position in which he sits - clasping his knees with his hands). A man does not want to be in this place, but he has no choice, and he watches how a demon arises. Vrubel, they say, specially painted a picture on a narrow canvas. So he subconsciously did not give much room to evil, that is, the demon is crowded, and from this he seems even more intimidating. Of course, his power is tamed, compressed. This can be seen in the figure on the muscles, posture and facial expression of the hero. He was tired, exhausted, depressed ... But still, Vrubel makes him his ideal of a wonderful man.
The essence of the "Demon" in the works of Vrubel
The plot, which was painted by Vrubel ("The Demon Sitting"), tells of his fatigue and powerlessness. Nevertheless, the author enlivens the picture with crystals that sparkle on the heroâs robes in blue and blue. You can also see the stunning landscape, which some may seem bizarre, but this is its charm. In general, Vrubelâs Demon painting is filled with golden, red, purple-blue tones that give it a completely different look in different lighting conditions. The work of Mikhail Alexandrovich clearly emphasizes the importance and charm of the protagonist. The demon, though scary, powerful, but still looks beautiful.
The most important thing, so to speak, the essence of the picture lies in its meaning. And he is like this: a demon is a symbol of a complex, unfair, real world that crumbles and reassembles like a mosaic. This is fear for modern and future people who cannot find a way out in life where evil and hatred reign. The description of Vrubelâs painting âDemonâ can be found in various sources, and the meaning of the image will also be interpreted in different ways. But most researchers believe that the author wanted to convey sadness, anxiety, which intertwines with sorrow and depression, anxiety for humanity and its continued existence. That was precisely the theme of the artistâs painting, and it was in this direction that he worked in his last years of creativity. Perhaps that is why Vrubelâs painting is considered one of the most complex, somewhat cruel, but fair and touching. His paintings are striking in their depth and originality; skillful combination of colors and background.
The history of the creation of paintings "Demon"
The painting, which was painted by Vrubel ("The Demon Sitting"), was created in 1891. The work appeared after Mikhail Alexandrovich studied in detail the works of Lermontov. To some of his works, he painted wonderful paintings, on one of them a demon was depicted. The sketch was created in 1890, and exactly 12 months later the work was completed. Only in 1917 the picture entered the museum. After some time, she began to attract attention, and today is considered a real masterpiece. So, under the inspiration from Lermontovâs poem, the painting âDemonâ was born. In addition, Vrubel has written many more wonderful works related to this block. Surprisingly, the difference in their spelling is nine years. No one knows what caused the resumption of work, but the picture "Demon Sitting" was not the last. A new work followed. In 1899, exactly 9 years later, another masterpiece was created, which Vrubel created - âThe Demon Flyingâ.
This work caused a wide variety of emotions in people. The painting was completed by a true master who perfected his drawing system. It also depicted the main character, but with wings. Thus, the author wanted to convey that gradually a pure soul is captured by evil and evil. The demon on the canvas is quite clear, but at the same time blurry. He is trying to devour a hero who has already gone along with him. The author for a long time improved his creation, constantly redoing some features of the picture. It is important that Vrubel understood exactly who the demon was. It is believed that the devil is a horned, insidious creature that can lure people to their side. As for the demon - this is energy that can capture the soul. This is the mob that condemns man to an eternal struggle that will not end either in heaven or on earth. That is what Vrubel wanted to convey to the public. âFlying demonâ is a negative character that prevents people from showing willpower and staying on the side of good, that is, being fair, honest, pure with reason and heart.
Demon defeated
From the series of popular works dedicated to Lermontovâs poem, the painting âDowned Demonâ also stands out. Vrubel finished it by 1902, and she became the last in this subject. Work done in oil on canvas. As a background, the author took a mountainous area, which is depicted in a scarlet sunset. On it you can see the cramped figure of a demon, as if sandwiched between the crossbars of the frame. Never before has an artist worked on his paintings so passionately and with such an obsession. The demon defeated is the embodiment of evil and beauty at the same time. Working on the picture, Mikhail Alexandrovich devastated himself. He tried to portray the impossible, sought to show the drama and conflict of life. Vrubel's face at work was constantly changing, as if he had seen new fragments of one film, lost and confused in his memory. Sometimes the artist could even cry over the canvas, so much he felt it. Surprisingly, Lermontov wrote six versions of his poem and believed that none of them can be considered complete. He searched for what was not there, sought to convey to the reader that which he himself did not fully know. About the same thing happened with Vrubel. He sought to draw something that he had no idea, and each time, after finishing the picture, the artist found inaccuracies and tried to correct them.
In fact, the image of evil is often found in the works that Vrubel presented to the world. Description of the painting "Demon Downed" boils down to the fact that in the end the main character defeated the evil spirits. In other words, each person can fight for himself and constantly work on himself, improving his skills, developing and enriching his inner world. Thus, Mikhail Alexandrovich expressed his opinion about the demon and about the whole evil on the planet: he can be defeated, and even you need to fight him!
Vrubel depicted the painting âDemon Downedâ in a unique style: using crystal faces, flat strokes that were made with a palette knife.
The disease of the great artist
Unfortunately, Vrubel's âDemonâ did not bring the artist anything good. He was so deeply imbued with his image, sympathy for all people on earth, thoughts about life and other philosophical things that he gradually began to get lost in reality. The last picture of Vrubel - âThe Demon Downedâ (the last of the series written for Lermontovâs poem) was in the Moscow Gallery and was ready for the exhibition. Every morning the artist came there and corrected the details of his work. Some believe that this was a feature due to which Mikhail Vrubel became known: his paintings were thought out to the smallest detail, therefore they were perfect.
During the authorâs writing, the people around him became increasingly convinced that he had a mental disorder. A little later, the diagnosis was confirmed. Vrubel was taken to a psychiatric clinic and assured his relatives that he was in a state of manic arousal. Data on the deterioration of his health were confirmed. Mikhail Alexandrovich once declared that he was Christ, then claimed to be Pushkin; sometimes heard voices. As a result of the examination, it was found that the nervous system of the artist is broken.
Vrubel fell ill in 1902. As a result, he discovered tertiary syphilis. The author behaved very strange in these years. First, having discovered the ailment, he was sent to the Svavei-Mogilevich clinic, then he was transferred to the Serbsky hospital, and later sent to Usoltsev. Why did this happen? This is due to the fact that the treatment did not help Vrubel, on the contrary, his condition worsened, and he became so violent that he was barely held by four orderlies. Three years later, no positive changes occurred, the disease worsened. At that time, the artist's vision deteriorated sharply, and he practically could not write, which amounted to amputation of an arm or leg. Nevertheless, Mikhail Alexandrovich managed to finish the portrait of Bryusov, after which he was completely blind. In the clinic of Dr. Bari, the artist spent the last years of his life. A talented painter died, an incredibly smart, honest and fair man in 1910.
Themes of Vrubel
In fact, the artist painted real pictures for his time. Vrubel portrayed movement, intrigue, silence and mystery. In addition to works related to Lermontovâs poem âDemonâ, the artist introduced other art masterpieces to the world. These include the paintings "Hamlet and Ophelia", "A Girl Against the Persian Carpet", "Fortune Teller", "Athlete", "Mikula Selyaninovich", "Prince Gvidon and the Swan Princess", as well as many others. In these works one can see luxury, love, death, sadness and corruption. The artist performed many paintings in Russian subjects, among which the Swan Princess, written in 1900, is the most popular. Also, such works as âAngel with a censer and a candleâ, âTowards nightâ, âPanâ and many portraits of prominent personalities are considered amazing works.
One way or another, all people will remember the masterpiece that Mikhail Vrubel created - âThe Demonâ, as well as a block of paintings associated with the poem of a Russian writer, depicting the feelings, emotions and experiences of an ordinary person who is absorbed by evil and betrayal, hatred and envy. And, of course, in the series of these works other images are presented.
Vrubel and his demon
The famous and talented Vrubel was visited by the muse, which prompted him to write the painting âDemonâ when he was in Moscow. Not only Lermontovâs poem became the basis for the creation of masterpieces, but also the environment: meanness, envy, dishonor of people. A good friend of Mikhail Alexandrovich - Savva Mamontov - allowed the artist to borrow his studio for a while. Note that it was in honor of this bright and devoted man that Vrubel named his son.
At the initial stage, Mikhail Alexandrovich did not understand how to portray the demon, with what accuracy and in the guise of whom. The picture in his head was vague and needed refinement, so one fine day he just sat down and started experimenting, constantly changing or correcting his creation. According to the artist, the demon was the embodiment of a suffering and mournful person. But still he considered him majestic and domineering. As noted above, for Vrubel the demon was not a devil or a devil, he was a creature abducting the human soul.
After analyzing the works of Lermontov and Blok, Vrubel only became convinced of the veracity of his thoughts. It is interesting that every day Mikhail Alexandrovich redid the image of a demon. On some days, he portrayed him as majestic, domineering, and invincible. At other times, he made him scary, terrifying, cruel. That is, sometimes the author admired him, and sometimes he hated it. But in each picture in the image of a demon there was some kind of sadness, a completely unique beauty. Many believe that it is precisely because of their fictional characters that Vrubel soon went crazy. He so clearly represented them and was imbued with their essence that he was slowly losing himself. Indeed, before the artist began his second work - âThe Demon Flyingâ - he felt great and improved his mastery of drawing. His paintings were inspiring, sensual, unique.
At the time of the completion of the third picture - âDemon Downedâ - Mikhail Alexandrovich was overwhelmed with different feelings. It is worth noting that he was the first to violate the ban on depicting evil spirits on canvas. This is because all the artists who painted the demons soon died. That is why these heroes were banned. All people believe that âplaying with fireâ, in this case with the devil, is impossible. This is evidenced by dozens of unrelated events. Many argue that it was precisely because of the violation of this prohibition that the forces of darkness punished Vrubel, depriving him of reason. But as it actually was, remains a mystery. And each person can make up his own vision of the work of the brilliant painter and his heroes, develop his own attitude to them. One thing is clear: the theme chosen by Vrubel always remains relevant. After all, there has always been and will continue to be a confrontation between evil and good, light and darkness, beautiful and monstrous, sublime and earthly.