MA Vrubel, Lilac: analysis and description of the painting

Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel is one of the most extraordinary and beloved Russian artists. The landscapes and images created by him reveal a magnificent world that is as if on the border between everyday life and magic. Best of all, this ephemeral reality is revealed by "Lilac" - one of the fabulous "nocturnes" of Vrubel, which the public likes so much.

Fairy World of Vrubel

Mikhail Vrubel had an incredibly multifaceted artistic gift, which is evidenced by temple paintings, decorative panels, stained-glass windows, sculptures, easel paintings and graphic drawings. Devotion to the vocation and concentration on the work allowed Vrubel to create many magnificent works, but his favorite series is the fabulous "nocturnes" - a series of paintings depicting magical characters against the background of nocturnal or twilight landscapes.

The unique talent of Vrubel was the original vision of mythological and fairy-tale characters and plots. Satires and dryads, goddesses and mermaids, a demon and captive princess - all of them in the artist's paintings do not appear to be what they look like in public opinion and the usual descriptions. In addition, that Vrubel bestowed on the "Russian spirit" almost everything that touched his brush, the artist's imagination was incredibly rich and self-sufficient, and therefore did not need clues and prejudices.

Mikhail Vrubel, Lilac: description of the painting

One of the most delicate and gentle "nocturnes" that Vrubel ever wrote - "Lilac" - creates a small corner in which the real mingles with the fabulous. Because of the sprawling lilac bush at the very moment when twilight turns into night, like a tender scared girl emerges. Long hair completely hides its shape and outfit, and the skin reflects the moonlight, creating a magical image of a mermaid or forest fairy.

Vrubel lilac wrote a palette knife (and foliage, and inflorescence), and a female figure - a brush, thanks to which the painting creates a voluminous texture of flowers and leaves, which contrasts with the smooth and soft form of the girl. Against the backdrop of bright, as if alive flowers, a young lady, covered by a cascade of long black hair, merges with the shadow and looks out from under the cover of the night, trying to make out something.

M. Vrubel, "Lilac": analysis of the painting

Many art critics associate Lilac with another picture of Vrubel from the series of "nocturnes" - "Pan". In the long-haired beauty they guess the nymph, into which Satyr was in love. This assumption is confirmed by the words of Vrubel himself, who said that "Lilac" is an alliteration of the name of the very nymph, which was called Siringa.

Just like Pan, the nymph Vrubel is more Russian than Greek. There is not in it the ease and serenity inherent in the classic mythical dryads and naiads. Woven from the twilight light and hidden in the thick inflorescence of the Syringe is more like a doze, a mermaid or another representative of Navi; Like Vrubel's Pan - more Russian lish than the Greek Satyr.

Variants of "Lilacs"

When mentioning the picture of Vrubel, "Lilac" is almost always the first to come to mind is a canvas, written in 1900 and described above, but this is not the only picture of the artist, depicting lush purple inflorescences. There are two more works by Mikhail Vrubel with the same name, one of which the author was not able to finish.

At the very beginning of the XX century, the artist decided to show his vision of Tatyana Larina from Pushkin's poem "Eugene Onegin". Vrubel planned to portray a girl sitting on a bench near a lush bush of lilac. In 1900, the sketch for the painting, also called "Lilac", was completed.

In 1901, Vrubel began work on a large picture, the plot of which was again a girl hidden in the shade of a blossoming lilac bush. Unfortunately, the artist did not have time to finish work on the canvas, and the audience did not see what Tatyana Larina was in the view of the great painter. However, the favorite model of Vrubel - his muse and wife Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel - can be guessed in a figure, a bearing and an obscure portrait sketch.