Painting “Flying Demon”, Mikhail Vrubel, 1899 
- Posted by Mikhail Vrubel
- Museum: Russian Museum
- Year: 1899
Overview of the painting :
Flying demon – Mikhail Vrubel. 1899. Oil on canvas. 138.5 x 430.5 cm
Like many of the master’s work, the picture remained incomplete. The master worked well as a background, which is a typical Caucasian landscape. As for the figure of the demon itself, it is so schematically drawn that the author’s idea, perhaps, can only be guessed.
The work is designed in a harsh color of brown and gray tones. The atmosphere of anxiety and impending tragedy was created by the author. The demon seems to be moving along a narrow space between heaven and earth. He is already limited in movement, and in front of him there is a complete defeat.
The texture of the hero’s robes was perfectly conveyed, but the contours of the body are only outlined schematically. The master tried to achieve harmony between the figure of the demon and the surrounding landscape. For the artist, the demon is a symbol of opposition to everything, disobedience and the brave protection of his beliefs, contrary to all authorities. Freedom is the main thing for the master in his hero. Brown tones are a reference to the plumage of the eagle.
The reasons why the author left the work unfinished remained unknown. Perhaps the master did not find a deep enough idea for the canvas, or he considered the plot itself to be quite simplified. It is known that in a year the artist will return to the image of the fallen angel.