1902 Harmed Demon Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910)
Mikhail Vrubel – 1902 Harmed Demon
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Painter: Mikhail Vrubel
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"Demon Subverted" is a 1901 oil on canvas painting. The demon is overthrown in a ravine. His arms and body have become helpless, his wings spread. The wings surround the demon like a bonfire. They sparkle and shimmer. The artist’s thought here was the eternity and imperishability of the peacock. It was not only the beauty of this bird that attracted the artist. The background of the painting is a mountainous area in the sunset.
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Description of Mikhail Vrubel’s painting "The Demon Taken".
"Demon Subverted" is a 1901 oil on canvas painting.
The demon is overthrown in a ravine. His arms and body have become helpless, his wings spread. The wings surround the demon like a bonfire. They sparkle and shimmer. The artist’s thought here was the eternity and imperishability of the peacock. It was not only the beauty of this bird that attracted the artist.
The background of the painting is a mountainous area in the sunset. The main character turned out to be cramped and cramped. The painting turned out in the style of Vrubel, with the execution of crystalline facets. Such facets the artist performed thanks to flat brushstrokes, made with a mastichin.
When working on the canvas, Vrubel added bronze powder to the paint. This made it shine. But over time, the powder became darker, and the painting now looks very different than it did then. At that time, the canvas looked different from Vrubel’s best works. It lacked hue and saturation, the transitions from one color to another. Because of the technique Vrubel used in this work, the canvas is not so much an artistic sense. This work, embodies the idea of the fall of man, the burning of his character.
Before this work, before the fallen demon was strong and sturdy (sitting). But now his arms have become powerless, they are slain. There is a dark darkness around the demon. The painting is dominated by gold, blue, blue, purple and pink - these are Vrubel’s favorite colors.
Most likely, the artist’s intention was to think about the impossibility of defeating the demon, about his pride. But what he ended up with was a broken and defeated demon, weak in his performance.
Vrubel failed to implement his idea, turned out a broken image, weak and insane.
"Demon Defeated" Vrubel began to write in 1901, at the same time when other demons were in the work. The work was finished in the same year. In December, this work was exhibited as unfinished. Now the painting is in the State Tretyakov Gallery.
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The figure rests upon a dense, textured ground composed of what appears to be organic matter – leaves, petals, and possibly insect forms are discernible in the swirling patterns. The color palette is predominantly earthy – browns, greens, and ochres – punctuated by flashes of iridescent blues and purples that create an unsettling shimmer across the surface. This interplay of dark and luminous tones contributes to a sense of both decay and otherworldly beauty.
The artist employed a technique that lends a mosaic-like quality to the work; individual elements are juxtaposed to build up form, rather than blended smoothly. This approach enhances the feeling of fragmentation and instability. The figure’s skin appears almost pearlescent, contrasting sharply with the chaotic environment surrounding her.
Subtexts within this piece seem to revolve around themes of fallen grace, entrapment, and a melancholic beauty born from suffering. The direct gaze suggests an awareness of ones own plight, perhaps even a challenge directed at the observer. The crown could symbolize a lost power or a burden imposed upon the individual. The surrounding flora hints at both fertility and corruption, suggesting a cycle of life and death that is inescapable. Overall, the work evokes a sense of profound sadness and resignation, while simultaneously hinting at an underlying strength or defiance within the depicted figure.