Vrubel's "Demon" is a brilliant creation of the era. The theme of the demon in the work of Mikhail Vrubel

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

Sad to say, but many brilliant people were not appreciated during their lifetime. From history books, we can conclude that the past was quite cruel and to some extent 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 disappeared altogether. However, after their death, everything changed dramatically. And that "dirt", as people called the work of talented individuals, today is called a real masterpiece, which, it seems, no one can repeat. Works are admired, inspired, and sometimes they simply cannot take their eyes off such perfection.

Mikhail Vrubel - an artist of the nineteenth-twentieth centuries

5 (17) March 1856, little Mikhail Vrubel was born into the family of a military officer. A few decades later, 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 stopped atachieved. He gave the world unsurpassed frescoes, decorative panels, wonderful canvases and book illustrations. Vrubel was considered a very complex person and artist. At that time, not everyone would be able to unravel the essence of his paintings or understand what the curves of his sculptures mean.

Since childhood, Mikhail loved to draw and enjoy the charming landscapes around. When he was eighteen years old, his father decided that the young man should enter the law faculty 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 the philosophy of Kant, attended performances, falling in love with theater actresses, argued about art and constantly painted. Everything that came to his mind soon appeared on the canvas.

The life of a great artist

Vrubel's work is often associated with 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 "Entrance to the Temple". It was in a higher educational institution that changes in a young man were visible. From an irresponsible, windy boy, he became a talented and strong man. Paintings by M. A. Vrubel was so captivated by the teachers and guests of the Academy that after a while Professor Prakhov invited Mikhail to Kyiv. He invited him to work on the restoration of St. Cyril's Church. Vrubel, in turn, agreed and beganpaint icons. He created unsurpassed wall paintings, depicting the Virgin and Child, Cyril, Christ and Athanasius.

Besides this, the great artist made sketches intended for the restoration of the Vladimir Cathedral. Ultimately, Mikhail worked in Kyiv for about five years and became much wiser, more diligent and developed his talent to the next stage of creativity. After 1889, the artist changed his work, which is worth the picture, which is often popularly called "Vrubel's Demon".

Further art work

For about three years the great artist was engaged in applied art. This period is called Abramtsevo. Briefly characterize the work of Mikhail Vrubel by the following achievements: he created the project for the facade of the Mamontov house and the sculpture “Lion Mask”.

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 limits and rules, he created and achieved truly magnificent results. In his youth, Mikhail was already boldly entrusted with huge projects, as customers were confident in their luxurious and fast execution.

Vrubel worked with the best masters of their craft and architects, among whom Fyodor Shekhtel stood out brightly. 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 left fortouring with the troupe of the Mamontov Russian Private Opera.

Mikhail Vrubel adored the works of Lermontov, as well as the spiritual world and the life of his idol. He tried to imitate him and sometimes expressed the emotions hidden in his soul on the canvases of his unsurpassed paintings. Mikhail Aleksandrovich was a strong personality and tried to give each of his works tragedy and perseverance. It was the painting “The Demon” by Vrubel that successfully combined the features of romanticism, sadness and ambiguity. Many art connoisseurs tried to explain what this image is, what meaning it carries, and what exactly the author wanted to convey with these strokes.

Demon Painting

Vrubel's "Demon" is an image of a real tragedy, which nevertheless denies evil. Its essence is that a noble person stands for the side of good, but can do nothing with the forces of darkness. Evil still wins, it draws in the powerless and controls him for selfish, vile purposes. Here, many writers draw a parallel between Lermontov and Vrubel. For the first, the demon is not the creator of evil, but only its offspring, and Mikhail Aleksandrovich understands this very well. He is trying to depict the contrast of colors on the canvas, so that everyone who sees the picture immediately and unconditionally understands where is evil and where is good. Summing up, we note that Vrubel's "Demon" 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 prefers the forces of darkness.

Note that the hero is also not intimidated,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 pose in which he sits - clasping his knees with his hands). The man does not want to be in this place, but he has no choice, and he watches how the demon arises. Vrubel, they say, specially painted a picture on a narrow canvas. So he subconsciously did not give much space to evil, that is, the demon is cramped, and this makes him seem even more frightening. Of course, his power is tamed, compressed. This can be seen in the figure by the muscles, posture and facial expression of the hero. He is tired, exhausted, depressed … But still, Vrubel makes him his ideal of a wonderful person.

The essence of the "Demon" in the work of Vrubel

The plot drawn by Vrubel ("Seated Demon") tells of his fatigue and impotence. But nevertheless, the author enlivens the picture with crystals that sparkle on the hero's attire in blue and blue tones. You can also see a stunning landscape, which may seem bizarre to some, but this is its charm. In general, Vrubel's painting "Demon" is filled with golden, red, lilac-blue tones, which 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, 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, whichcrumbles and reassembles like a mosaic. This is fear for the people of today and the future, who cannot find a way out in a life where evil and hatred reign. The description of Vrubel's painting "Demon" 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 is intertwined with grief and depression, anxiety for humanity and its continued existence. This was the theme of the artist's painting, it was in this direction that he worked in his last years of creativity. Perhaps that is why Vrubel's painting is considered one of the most difficult, to some extent cruel, but fair and touching. His paintings amaze with their depth and originality; skillful combination of colors and background.

The story behind the Demon paintings

The picture painted by Vrubel ("Seated Demon") was created in 1891. The work appeared after Mikhail Alexandrovich studied Lermontov's work in detail. For some of his works, he painted wonderful pictures, one of which depicted a demon. The sketch was created in 1890, and exactly 12 months later the work was completed. Only in 1917 did the painting enter the museum. After some time, she began to attract attention, and today is considered a real masterpiece. So, under the inspiration of Lermontov's poem, the painting "Demon" was born. In addition, Vrubel wrote many more wonderful works related to this block. The surprising thing is that the difference in their spelling -nine years. No one knows what caused the resumption of work, but the painting "The Demon Seated" was not the last. New work followed. In 1899, exactly 9 years later, another masterpiece created by Vrubel was presented - “The Flying Demon”.

This work evoked a wide variety of emotions in people. The painting was finished by a real 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 spirits. The demon is depicted on the canvas quite clearly, but at the same time blurry. He is trying to absorb the hero, who has already gone on about him. The author has been improving his creation for a long time, constantly reworking 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 a person to his side. As for the demon, it is an energy that can capture the soul. This is a mob that dooms a person to an eternal struggle that will not end either in heaven or on earth. This is exactly what Vrubel wanted to convey to the public. The “flying demon” is a negative character that prevents people from showing willpower and staying on the side of good, that is, being fair, honest, pure in mind and heart.

Demon defeated

From a series of popular works dedicated to Lermontov's poem, the painting "Demon Defeated" also stands out. Vrubel completed it by 1902, and it became the last in this subject. Made 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 beams of the frame. Never before has an artist worked on his paintings with such passion and obsession. The defeated demon 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 being. Vrubel's face was constantly changing as he worked, as if he were seeing new fragments of one film, lost and mixed up in his memory. Sometimes the artist could even cry over the canvas, he felt it so strongly. Surprisingly, Lermontov wrote six versions of his poem and believed that none of them could be considered complete. He was looking for something that was not there, sought to convey to the reader what he himself did not fully know. Approximately the same thing happened with Vrubel. He sought to paint what he had no idea about, and each time he finished the painting, 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. The description of the painting “The Demon Defeated” boils down to the fact that in the end the main character defeated 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: it can bewin, and even have to fight him!

The painting "Demon Downtrodden" by Vrubel was depicted in a unique style: using crystalline edges, flat strokes, which were made with a palette knife.

Illness of a great artist

Unfortunately, Vrubel's "Demon" did not bring anything good to the artist. He was so deeply imbued with his image, sympathy for all people on earth, reflections on life and other philosophical things, that he gradually began to get lost in reality. Vrubel's last painting, Demon Defeated (the last in a series written for Lermontov's 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 famous: his paintings were thought out to the smallest detail, therefore they were perfect.

Throughout the writing of the author's works, people around him became more and more convinced that he had a mental disorder. A little later, the diagnosis was confirmed. Vrubel was taken to a psychiatric clinic and his relatives were assured that he was in a state of manic excitement. Data on the deterioration of his he alth were confirmed. Mikhail Alexandrovich once declared that he was Christ, then he claimed that he was Pushkin; sometimes heard voices. As a result of the examination, it was found that the artist's nervous system was disturbed.

Vrubel fell ill in 1902. As a result, he was diagnosed with tertiary syphilis. The author behaved very strangely during these years. First, having discovered the disease, itsent to the clinic of Svavey-Mogilevich, then transferred to the Serbsky hospital, a little later they were 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 kept by four orderlies. Three years later, there were no positive changes, the disease worsened. At that time, the artist's eyesight deteriorated sharply, and he practically could not write, which was equivalent to amputation of an arm or leg. Nevertheless, Mikhail Alexandrovich managed to complete the portrait of Bryusov, after which he became completely blind. In the clinic of Dr. Bari, the artist spent the last years of his life. A talented painter, an incredibly smart, honest and fair man, died in 1910.

The themes of Vrubel's creativity

In fact, the artist painted real paintings for his time. Vrubel depicted movement, intrigue, silence and mystery. In addition to works related to Lermontov's poem "The Demon", the artist presented the world with other masterpieces of art. These include the paintings "Hamlet and Ophelia", "Girl against the backdrop of a Persian carpet", "Fortune Teller", "Bogatyr", "Mikula Selyaninovich", "Prince Gvidon and the Swan Princess", as well as many others. In these works one can see luxury, love, death, sadness and decay. The artist made many paintings in the Russian theme, among which the most popular is The Swan Princess, painted in 1900. Also, works such as "Angel with a censer and a candle", "By night", "Pan" and many portraits of prominent personalities are considered amazing works.

One way or another, all people will remember the masterpiece that Mikhail Vrubel created - "The Demon", as well as a block of paintings associated with the poem of the 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, other images are featured in this series of works.

Vrubel and his demon

The famous and talented Vrubel was visited by the muse, which prompted him to paint the painting "Demon" when he was in Moscow. Not only Lermontov's poem became the basis for creating masterpieces, but also the environment: meanness, envy, dishonor of people. A good friend of Mikhail Alexandrovich - Savva Mamontov - allowed the artist to take his studio for a while. Note that it was in honor of this bright and devoted person that Vrubel named his son.

At the initial stage, Mikhail Aleksandrovich did not understand how exactly to portray the demon, with what accuracy and in the guise of whom. The picture in his head was vague and needed to be worked on, so one 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 powerful. As noted above, for Vrubel, the demon was not a devil or a devil, he was a creature that steals a human soul.

After analyzing the work of Lermontov and Blok, Vrubel only became convinced of the veracity of his thoughts. It is interesting that every day Mikhail Alexandrovich altered the image of the demon. On some days he portrayed him as majestic, powerful and invincible. At other times he made him scary, terrifying, cruel. That is, sometimes the author admired him, and sometimes hated him. But in every picture in the image of a demon, there was some kind of sadness, a completely unique beauty. Many believe that it was precisely because of his fictional characters that Vrubel soon went crazy. He imagined them so clearly and imbued with their essence that he slowly lost himself. Indeed, before the artist began his second work - "Flying Demon", - he felt great and improved his drawing skills. His paintings were inspiring, sensual, unique.

During the completion of the third picture - "Demon Defeated" - 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 demons soon died. That is why these heroes were banned. All people believe that it is impossible to "play with fire", in this case with the devil. This is evidenced by dozens of unrelated events. Many claim that it was because of the violation of this prohibition that the forces of darkness punished Vrubel, depriving him of his mind. But how it actually happened remains a mystery. And each person can make his own vision of the work of a brilliant painter and his heroes, develop his own attitude towards them. One thing is clear: the theme chosen by Vrubel always remains relevant. After all, it has always beenand there will be opposition between evil and good, light and darkness, beautiful and monstrous, sublime and earthly.