Mystery life of masterpieces: Mikhail Vrubel
Lawyer’s student, inspired by the philosophy of Cant, the Volo pilot of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the author of "Demon" and "Tsarevna Swan". We publish passages from the book "The secret life of the masterpieces" Nikolai Zharinova. Book issued Publishing house "Eksmo" and dedicated to 11 great artists of the past.
Expansive but decent
Childhood Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel can not be called very heavy. Yes, the future artist has lost my mother early, because of the Father’s military career I had to move often, but the child did not know the lack of love. Family often helped relatives, and when the parent decided to marry the second time, the stepmother took the children from her husband’s first marriage as his own, cared for them and loved.
With the future wife, the opera singer with the hope of an Ivanovna, the artist met in the theater, where the sovenate Sava Morozov invited Vrubel to the position of decorator instead of the sick cow.
"I am during a break (I remember, stood behind the scene) was amazed and even somewhat shocked by the fact that some Mr fenced to me and, kissing my hand, exclaimed: "Charming voice!" T. Standing here. WITH. Lyubatovich hurried to imagine: "Our artist Mikhail Alexandrovich Vrubel", And to the side I was told: "Man is very expansive, but quite decent""- remembered.
Voice of Hope Ivanovna and her beauty inspired Mikhail Vrubel on his best paintings. From her, for example, the famous "Tsarevna-Swan" is written.
Feel a feeling of a rich man
According to the memories of his friend, Konstantin Korovina, Mikhail Alexandrovich could live for a few more spectacles, and having received a more or less decent amount of money for the order performed, immediately spend it on trifles. So Korovin described the behavior of Vrubel after the artist received a large amount of money for the painting of the Mamontov mansion:
"He gave lunch at the hotel "Paris", where housing. On this lunch, he called everyone there live. When I came late from the theater, I saw tables covered with bottles of wines, champagne, mass of the people, among guests – gypsy, guitarists, orchestra, some military, actors, and Misha Vrubel treated everyone like a Metrotel he wrapped in a champagne wipe And poured all. – How happy I am, – he told me. – I feel a sense of a rich man. See how well everyone is configured and how happy. All five thousand went away, and not enough. And Vrubel worked hard for two months to cover the debt. ".
At another moment, when Vrubel had no money even for food, he, having received 25 rubles for performing a small order, almost the entire amount spent on the purchase of expensive perfumes, after which, having come home, mixed them with water and took a fragrant bath.
