Nadezhda Ivanovna Zabela-Vrubel was born on April 1, 1868 into a family of an old Ukrainian family. Her father, Ivan Petrovich, a civil servant, was interested in painting, music and contributed to the versatile education of his daughters, Ekaterina and Nadezhda. From the age of ten, Nadezhda studied at the Kiev Institute of Noble Maidens, from which she graduated in 1883 with a large silver medal.

"The Swan Princess" Vrubel

From 1885 to 1891 Nadezhda studied at the St. Petersburg Conservatory, in the class of Professor N.A. Iretskaya. “Art requires a head,” said Natalia Alexandrovna. To decide on admission, she always auditioned candidates at home and got to know them in more detail.

This is what L.G. writes. Barsova: “The entire palette of colors was based on impeccable vocals: the pure tone seems to endlessly and continuously flow and develop. The formation of the tone did not hinder the articulation of the mouth: “The consonants sing, they don’t block, but they sing!” Iretskaya prompted. She considered false intonation to be her biggest drawback, and forced singing was seen as the greatest disaster - a consequence of poor breathing. The following requirements of Iretskaya were quite modern: “You must be able to hold your breath while you sing the phrase - inhale lightly, hold the diaphragm while you sing the phrase, feel the state of singing.” Zabela learned Iretskaya’s lessons perfectly..."

Vrubel

Already participation in the student performance of Beethoven's Fidelio on February 9, 1891 drew the attention of specialists to the young singer who performed the role of Leonora. Reviewers noted “good schooling and musical understanding,” “a strong and well-produced voice,” while pointing out a lack of “stage presence.”

After graduating from the conservatory, Nadezhda, at the invitation of A.G. Rubinstein is on a concert tour in Germany. Then she goes to Paris to improve herself with M. Marchesi.

"Lilac", Vrubel

Zabela's stage career began in 1893 in Kyiv, at the I.Ya. Opera House. Setova. In Kiev she performs the roles of Nedda (Pagliacci by Leoncavallo), Elizabeth (Tannhäuser by Wagner), Michaela (Carmen by Bizet), Mignon (Mignon by Thomas), Tatiana (Eugene Onegin by Tchaikovsky), Gorislava (Ruslan and Lyudmila” by Glinka), Kryza (“Nero” by Rubinstein).

"Snow Maiden"

Particular attention should be paid to the role of Marguerite (“Faust” by Gounod), one of the most complex and revealing in the opera classics. Constantly working on the image of Margarita, Zabela interprets it more and more subtly. Here is one of the reviews from Kyiv: “Ms. Zabela, whom we met for the first time in this performance, created such a poetic image in terms of stage performance, was so impeccably good vocally that from her first appearance on stage in the second act and from the first “With the same notes of her opening recitative, sung impeccably, right up to the final scene in the dungeon of the last act, she completely captured the attention and affection of the audience.”

"Hansel and Gretel" Vrubel

After Kiev, Zabela performs in Tiflis, where her repertoire includes the roles of Gilda (Verdi’s Rigoletto), Violetta (Verdi’s La traviata), Juliet (Gounod’s Romeo and Juliet), Inea (Meyerbeer’s “Afrikane”), and Tamara (“ Demon" by Rubinstein), Maria ("Mazeppa" by Tchaikovsky), Lisa ("The Queen of Spades" by Tchaikovsky).

"Sadko"

In 1896, Zabela performed in St. Petersburg, at the Panaevsky Theater. At one of the rehearsals of Humperdinck’s opera “Hansel and Gretel,” Nadezhda Ivanovna met her future husband. This is how she herself told about it: “I was amazed and even somewhat shocked that some gentleman ran up to me and, kissing my hand, exclaimed: “A lovely voice!” T.S., who was standing here, Lyubatovich hastened to introduce me: “Our artist Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel,” and said to me aside: “He is a very expansive man, but quite decent.”

"Hansel and Gretel" Vrubel

After the premiere of the opera “Hansel and Gretel,” Zabela brought Vrubel to Ge’s house, where she then lived. Her sister “noticed that Nadya was somehow especially youthful and interesting, and realized that this was due to the atmosphere of love with which this particular Vrubel surrounded her.” Vrubel later said that “if she had refused him, he would have taken his own life.”

"Hansel and Gretel"
On July 28, 1896, the wedding of Zabela and Vrubel took place in Switzerland. The happy newlywed wrote to her sister: “In Mikhail Alexandrovich I find new virtues every day; firstly, he is unusually meek and kind, simply touching, in addition, I always have fun and are surprisingly at ease with him. I certainly believe in his competence in singing, he will be very useful to me, and it seems that I too will be able to influence him.”

Vrubel

Zabela singled out the role of Tatiana in “Eugene Onegin” as her favorite. She sang it for the first time in Kyiv, in Tiflis she chose this part for her benefit performance, and in Kharkov for her debut. M. Dulova, then a young singer, spoke about this first appearance on the stage of the Kharkov Opera House on September 18, 1896 in her memoirs: “Nadezhda Ivanovna made a pleasant impression on everyone: with her appearance, her costume, her demeanor... Already the rehearsals of Onegin spoke about the specific Tatiana-Zabela's weight. Nadezhda Ivanovna was very pretty and stylish. The performance “Onegin” went well.” Her talent blossomed at the Mamontov Theater, where she was invited by Savva Ivanovich in the fall of 1897 along with her husband. Soon she met with the music of Rimsky-Korsakov.

Rimsky-Korsakov first heard the singer on December 30, 1897 as Volkhova in Sadko. “You can imagine how nervous I was, performing in front of the author in such a difficult game,” said Zabela. “However, the fears turned out to be exaggerated. After the second film, I met Nikolai Andreevich and received full approval from him.”

"Princess Volkhova" Vrubel

Volkhova's image corresponded to the artist's individuality. Ossovsky wrote: “When she sings, it seems like ethereal visions are swaying and flashing before your eyes, meek and... almost imperceptible... When they have to experience grief, it is not grief, but a deep sigh, without murmur or hope.”

"Sadko"

Rimsky-Korsakov himself, after “Sadko,” writes to the artist: “Of course, you thereby composed the Sea Princess, that you created her image in singing and on stage, which will remain with you forever and will remain in my imagination...”

Vrubel

Soon Zabela-Vrubel began to be called the “Korsakov singer.” She became the main character in the production of such masterpieces by Rimsky-Korsakov as “The Pskov Woman”, “May Night”, “The Snow Maiden”, “Mozart and Salieri”, “The Tsar’s Bride”, “Vera Sheloga”, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, "Koschei the Deathless".

"Koschei the Deathless"

Rimsky-Korsakov did not hide his attitude towards the singer. Regarding “The Pskov Woman,” he said: “In general, I consider Olga to be your best role, even if I was not bribed by the presence of Chaliapin himself on stage.” For the role of the Snow Maiden, Zabela-Vrubel also received the highest praise from the author: “I have never heard a Snow Maiden so sung as Nadezhda Ivanovna.”

"Snow Maiden", Vrubel

Rimsky-Korsakov immediately wrote some of his romances and opera roles with Zabela-Vrubel’s artistic capabilities in mind. Here we must name Vera (“Boyaryna Vera Sheloga”), and the Swan Princess (“The Tale of Tsar Saltan”), and Princess Beloved Beauty (“Koshey the Immortal”), and, of course, Martha in “The Tsar’s Bride.”

"The Tsar's Bride"

On October 22, 1899, the premiere of The Tsar's Bride took place. This game showed the best traits of Zabela-Vrubel’s talent. It was not for nothing that her contemporaries called her the singer of the female soul, of a woman’s quiet dreams, love and sadness. And at the same time, crystal purity of sound, crystal transparency of timbre, special tenderness of the cantilena.

Vrubel

The critic I. Lipaev wrote: “Ms. Zabela turned out to be a beautiful Martha, full of meek movements, dove-like humility, and in her voice, warm, expressive, not embarrassed by the height of the part, everything captivated with musicality and beauty... Zabela is incomparable in the scenes with Dunyasha, with Lykov, where all she has is love and hope for a rosy future, and is even more beautiful in the last act, when the potion has already poisoned the poor thing and the news of Lykov’s execution drives her crazy. And in general, Marfa found a rare artist in Zabela.”

"Cherevichki"

Feedback from another critic, Kashkin: “Zabela sings [Martha’s] aria amazingly well. This number requires quite exceptional vocal means, and it is unlikely that many singers have such a lovely mezza voce in the highest register as Zabela flaunts. It is difficult to imagine this aria sung better. The scene and aria of the crazy Martha were performed by Zabela in an unusually touching and poetic manner, with a great sense of proportion.” Engel gave equally high praise to Zabela’s singing and acting: “Marfa [Zabela] was very good, there was so much warmth and touching in her voice and in her stage performance! In general, the new role was almost entirely a success for the artist; She spends almost the entire part in some kind of mezza voce, even on high notes, which gives Martha that aura of meekness, humility and submission to fate, which, I think, was depicted in the poet’s imagination.”

Vrubel

Zabela-Vrubel in the role of Marfa made a great impression on O.L. Knipper, who wrote to Chekhov: “Yesterday I was at the opera, listening to The Tsar’s Bride for the second time. What wonderful, subtle, graceful music! And how beautifully and simply Marfa Zabela sings and plays. I cried so well in the last act - she touched me. She conducts the scene of madness with amazing simplicity, her voice is clear, high, soft, not a single loud note, she just lulls you to sleep. The whole image of Martha is full of such tenderness, lyricism, purity - I just can’t get it out of my head.”

Of course, Zabela’s operatic repertoire was not limited to the music of the author of The Tsar’s Bride. She was an excellent Antonida in Ivan Susanin, soulfully sang Iolanta in Tchaikovsky’s opera of the same name, and she even played the role of Mimi in Puccini’s La Bohème. And yet, the Russian women of Rimsky-Korsakov evoked the greatest response in her soul. It is characteristic that his romances formed the basis of Zabela-Vrubel’s chamber repertoire.

Vrubel

In the very sad fate of the singer there was something from the heroines of Rimsky-Korsakov. In the summer of 1901, Nadezhda Ivanovna had a son, Savvochka. But two years later he fell ill and died. Added to this was the husband’s mental illness. Vrubel died in April 1910. And her creative career itself, at least theatrical, was unfairly short. After five years of brilliant performances on the stage of the Moscow Private Opera, from 1904 to 1911 Zabela-Vrubel served at the Mariinsky Theater.

"Pskovite"

The Mariinsky Theater had a higher professional level, but it lacked the atmosphere of celebration and love that reigned in the Mamontov Theater. M.F. Gnesin wrote with disappointment: “When I once went to the theater to see “Sadko” with her participation, I could not help but be upset by some of her inconspicuousness in the play. Her appearance and her singing were still charming for me, and yet, in comparison with the previous one, it was like a gentle and somewhat dull watercolor, only reminiscent of a painting painted with oil paints. In addition, those around her on stage were devoid of poetry. The dryness inherent in productions in state-owned theaters was felt in everything.”

Vrubel

On the imperial stage she never had the chance to perform the role of Fevronia in Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Tale of the Invisible City of Kitezh.” And contemporaries claim that this part sounded great on the concert stage.

"Tsar Saltan"

But Zabela-Vrubel’s chamber evenings continued to attract the attention of true connoisseurs. Her last concert took place in June 1913, and on July 4, 1913, Nadezhda Ivanovna passed away.

P.S:

Vrubel died of pneumonia in St. Petersburg on April 1 (14), 1910, in Dr. Bari’s hospital for the mentally ill. It is known that he caught a cold from standing for a long time on frosty days under an open window. His last words were: “Stop lying around, get ready, Nikolai, let’s go to the Academy...” He was buried at the Novodevichy Cemetery. Alexander Blok gave an inspirational speech at the funeral, calling the artist “a messenger of other worlds.” The block over Vrubel’s grave said: “He left us his Demons, as spellcasters against purple evil, against the night. Before what Vrubel and his ilk reveal to humanity once a century, I can only tremble. Those worlds that they saw, we do not we see."

In 1913, his wife, Nadezhda Zabela-Vrubel, was buried nearby. In 1935-1936, it was planned to transfer Vrubel’s grave to the museum necropolis of the Alexander Nevsky Lavra, but this plan was not implemented.

“Snow Maiden” - The image of the Snow Maiden is not recorded in Russian folk ritual. Folklore sources "Snow Maiden". Snegurka (Snezhevinochka) is so named because she was born from snow. Red maidens, Cake masters, Pancake killers, Sour cream delicacies! Here we find a connection with the calendar (Kupala) ritual of jumping over a fire.

“Pictures from ribbons” - Then stripes were made on the flower itself with purple color and the buds were painted with light green paint. Embroidery ribbons. First, it was necessary to depict a basket in the picture and make the handle out of twine. History of origin. Chrysanthemum and monarda are embroidered with twisted straight stitches. A complete collection of my robots.

“Lesson picture of the world” - Interaction between bodies is carried out at a distance - universal gravitation. Scientific picture of the world. Aristotle 384 – 322 BC e. He believed that any movement requires continuous influence. I. Newton 1643 - 1727. Made a decisive contribution to the development of classical mechanics. Newton came to a picture of the world by summarizing the results of carefully conducted experiments.

“Pictures of the Seasons” - Gradually, the black branches of the trees became overgrown with soft white pads. The earth is still empty and damp, but everything is ready for awakening. Seasons in poetry, music and painting. Essays. It became very quiet and calm. I. Levitan “Big Water”. 3. Summing up. It seems that even the noise of the city has been drowned in white flakes.

"Opera Snow Maiden" - Opera "Snow Maiden" (test). Question 2. What literary work is the opera “The Snow Maiden” based on? 1. based on a Russian folk tale 2. based on a fairy tale by A. Ostrovsky 3. based on a fairy tale by A.S. Pushkin. Identify the author of the opera “The Snow Maiden” from the portrait. Question 1. Name the author of the opera “The Snow Maiden”? 1. M.I. Glinka 2. N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov 3. P. I. Tchaikovsky.

“The Demon of Vrubel and Lermontov” - And the path of denial leads to self-denial and spiritual non-existence. The image of a demon, a rebellious and proud spirit, appears more than once in the poet’s lyrics. Lermontov's Demon and Vrubel's Demon are not entirely close. And the Demon turns out to be unable to overcome anger and cynicism. The hero's attempt to become human is doomed to failure. Pride and selfishness destroy the soul.

One of the most popular New Year's characters and the most beloved by children, starting from the end of the 19th century. and still remains Snow Maiden– a unique image of Russian culture. There are no such female characters in the New Year and Christmas mythology of other peoples of the world. Russian writers, artists, composers, and directors often depicted her in their works. Over the course of a century and a half, the image of the Snow Maiden has changed significantly - from the innocent granddaughter of Father Frost to sexually aggressive characters from erotic films.

The literary father of the girl who was molded from snow is considered to be A. N. Ostrovsky, who published the play “The Snow Maiden” in 1873. He drew this image from a Russian folk tale. In 1882, an opera by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov was staged based on this play at the Mariinsky Theater. In Ostrovsky's play, the Snow Maiden was not the granddaughter of Father Frost, but his assistant. Later, she was traditionally portrayed as his granddaughter, but her age constantly varied - sometimes she was a little girl, sometimes an adult girl. To some, she looked like a peasant woman, to others, to the Snow Queen.

The image of the Snow Maiden attracted many artists. V. M. Vasnetsov, while developing costume sketches for the production at the Russian Private Opera of Savva Mamontov, first depicted her in a sundress, bast shoes and with a hoop. Later, in the painting of the same name, he dressed her in a fur coat, mittens and a hat. A. Benois said that it was in this picture that Vasnetsov managed to discover the “law of ancient Russian beauty.”

Sketches and costumes for N. Rimsky-Korsakov’s opera “The Snow Maiden” were also created by Mikhail Vrubel, and his wife Nadezhda Zabela was the performer of the main opera role. Nicholas Roerich also turned to the design of “The Snow Maiden” for opera and dramatic scenes four times; he created dozens of sketches and drawings for this production. In the work of 1921, the artist unexpectedly combines Slavic mythology and Eastern influences on it: in the work “Lel and the Snow Maiden” he created an Asian ethnic type of characters. The image of the Snow Maiden was captured in their works by many other artists: K. Korovin, B. Kustodiev, V. Perov, I. Glazunov and others.

The image of the Snow Maiden received its modern form in 1935, when the Soviet authorities allowed the celebration of the New Year, which had previously been considered a bourgeois relic, and the Snow Maiden was officially recognized. It was then decided that Snegurochka was Father Frost’s granddaughter. And in 1937, the characters appeared on stage together in the House of Unions and since then have become inseparable.

The role of the Snow Maiden in cinema was first performed by actress Evgenia Filonova in 1968. Three years later, the same role was played by Natalya Bogunova in the film “Spring Tale”. The most attractive actresses of Soviet cinema played the role of the Snow Maiden, creating the image of an unearthly, otherworldly beauty.

Chapter fifteen

ROMAN SNOW Maiden

At the end of the summer of 1891, Elizaveta Grigorievna took Vera and Shura, who were grieving over the death of their brother, to Italy. On the way, the mother and daughters stopped in Kyiv to inspect the cathedral, for the ornaments of which Dryusha managed to do a little work, and to pray in front of the image of the Virgin Mary. This image seemed almost familiar, monumentally transforming the icon face previously created by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov for the modest Abramtsevo church. Taking with them Andrei’s peer, who was his friend and whose quiet spirituality reminded him of Lelya Prakhova (“Saint Barbara” in the painting by Mikhail Nesterov on the wall of the Vladimir Cathedral), everyone moved on together. It was not the first time that Elizaveta Grigorievna sought solace in a country that gave her a lot of young happiness with Savva, then extended her son’s life for a long time with its blessed climate, then... “Life there has always reconciled me with many things and calmed me down,” she writes from Rome to Elena Polenova. Italy did not deceive, it was the same, breathing the “mysterious poetry of the catacombs,” the caress of nature, the silence of sacred ruins. A couple of weeks later, Savva Ivanovich and Vrubel arrived.

The pace of existence has changed. The days were filled to capacity with trips and inspections. The routes were built taking into account the special interests of the Abramtsevo pottery workshop. Accordingly, the first step is to visit the National Ceramics Museum in Naples, the richest collection of artistic clay, from antique terracottas to fashionable porcelain. Then trips to school-workshops, where recipes and techniques of traditional ancient crafts were carefully preserved. And everything went well. Previously, Mamontov loved to take Konstantin Korovin with him abroad and thus develop the taste and horizons of “Kostenka”. In the same role as a mentor, Savva Ivanovich will take “Fedenka”, Fyodor Chaliapin, around Europe. With Vrubel the disposition was different. Mikhail Alexandrovich accompanied the patron of arts as an authoritative adviser on artistic affairs. And while he, a connoisseur of antiquity and the Renaissance, expressed admiration for the freshly made “robbiata” (souvenir copies of sculptural and architectural majolicas, masterpieces by the della Robbia family) or rejected the aesthetic quality of examples of carving skill, his opinion sounded weighty for the whole company. “Their works cannot be distinguished from ancient Italian ones,” writes Elizaveta Grigorievna after getting acquainted with the products of the Roman craft school of ceramics. - They strictly adhere to this style and develop it. They have a wood carving department at their school, but, according to Vrubel, it’s not very interesting.” Agreement, however, remained only on the territory of neutral decorative applied genres. The entry into the soil of modern high art disrupted the peace. The conflict erupted over Morelli.

Well, why was the then famous leader of the Neapolitan colorists, Domenico Morelli, so bad for Mikhail Vrubel? Let's say Vrubel had complaints about updating the academic picture with everyday naturalism, let's say he didn't like the interpretation of the Gospel stories in the spirit of current political views. But didn’t he know what an event it was for the young Russians Ilya Repin and Vasily Polenov to meet Domenico Morelli himself, brave on the barricades and in the colors of his palette? I didn’t know how the older Mamontovites were united by ideas close to Morelli’s theories with the unity of liberation and Christian ideals characteristic of the Risorgimento fighters? I didn’t understand what the art of this master meant for the work of Repin, Antokolsky and especially Polenov, who, following the example of Morelli, made expeditions to Palestine and created his own cycles of compositions dedicated to the life’s wanderings of the “teacher from Nazareth”? Didn’t Vrubel see how, in response to his ironic grimaces, in the National Gallery of Rome, Elizaveta Grigorievna, who, among the most precious family heirlooms, kept an album of photographs from Morelli’s paintings, once collected by the young Mammoth couple, became agitated? He knew, saw, understood, and yet he allowed himself to make fun of both the artist’s paintings and the tastes of his fans. A cruel tactlessness, explained only by the effect of wine fumes, which extremely increased the desire to show off in front of Verochka Mamontova.

Elizaveta Grigorievna, indignant, could not find words to rebuke the insulter of sacred things. Verochka, beaming with the radiance of her dark, perky eyes, responded to Vrubel with a caustic mockery: she reproached him with envy of the famous painter and offered to console himself with at least some approximation to his name. It will not be possible to become equal to the great Morelli, but Vrubel has the opportunity to translate his surname with the Polish meaning “sparrow” into the Roman dialect and be called “little sparrow” - Monelli. Vrubel willingly accepted the challenge. In the tone of a delightful pick, his next work (and this was a portrait of Savva Ivanovich Mamontov on a scarlet background that long decorated the Abramtsevo house, in painting was recognized as a pearl no lower than “Girl with Peaches” and disappeared without a trace from the estate during the Great Patriotic War) Mikhail Vrubel signed “Minolli " Then this witticism of the author caused all sorts of misunderstandings with the attribution of the portrait, especially since it was perplexed (error? clerical error?) by the strange word, not noted in the lexicons, with which Vrubel signed. Although it is difficult to believe that the artist, who spoke excellent Italian, mixed up the letters. Of course, the pseudonym had a meaning that was clear to the participants in the discussion. Apparently, Vrubel, a big fan of charades, used the first person form of the verb for the initial syllables minare - mine, blow up, and the signature encrypted the proud “no, dear ladies, I’m not a little sparrow to you - I’m a miner, a demolitionist, a bomber!”

A remark from which Elizaveta Grigorievna probably shuddered once again and at which the young maidens only snorted.

The dispute ended due to the fact that Savva Ivanovich took Vrubel to Milan. In this Mecca of ambitious vocalists, 20 years ago, the young merchant Savva Mamontov successfully mastered bel canto; now Lilya Vrubel lived there and took singing lessons. Of the three younger half-sisters, Mikhail treated her with special warmth, affectionately calling her, who early chose the path of an opera singer, “the future compassionate.” Now, as if compensating for the indelicacy of his clash with Elizaveta Grigorievna, he showed the most noble concern for Lila. Vrubel gave his sister, and at the same time the whole family, a pleasant surprise. “This is how it happened,” Alexander Mikhailovich Vrubel savors the infrequent good news about his son. - Lilya is sitting at home, they bring her a note from Ronzi (vocal teacher. - V.D.) and they invite her to come, she comes in and sees Misha at Ronzi’s... you can imagine her surprise and joy!.. When Misha met with Lilya, he asked to accept 5 ducats from him. Lilya really appreciated this act of Misha, and she, despite Misha’s reluctance, has already returned 50 francs to him. This whole passage with the gold ones made me very happy... touched me!”

In Lily's letter, the Milan meeting with her brother is described in a little more detail.

“Our meeting with him was unexpected, short, very cordial, and both of us had a hard time at heart. Yes, this complete dedication to art makes his life more difficult than it already is. We both found ourselves outwardly aged since Kazan. We are both still tormented by the arts. Misha’s attitude towards art is better than mine. I have less faith, and there is already humility that if nothing comes of this last attempt, then I need to leave everything and try to at least not interfere with my existence and help others live. Misha believes more in art (and has more evidence for this than I do)... Misha saw again people’s faith in his talent and therefore he himself is calmer and more confident about his work.”

Mikhail made plans. He saw the best thing for his sister as the possibility of Lily joining the troupe of the Private Opera. Savva Ivanovich nodded absently: we must try. (Looking ahead, we will say that the test did not take place or was unsuccessful; Elizaveta Vrubel will tour Russia in other opera companies.) Savva Ivanovich on that foreign voyage in 1891 was most occupied with thoughts about Tatyana Lyubatovich’s tour in Spain, organized not without his active participation, on the stage of Barcelona's Teatro Principale. He could no longer sit in Italy. Regarding Vrubel, it was decided that the artist would return to Rome and work there for the winter. Mamontov will provide the artist with monthly subsidies for commissioned sketches of the scenery for the proposed opera production of “The Merry Wives of Windsor” and the development of a new curtain for the Private Opera. A more difficult question remained for Mamontov: how to ensure a sufficiently productive work schedule for Vrubel, who tended to spend his days tasting local wines and his nights in Roman entertainment establishments.

Savva Ivanovich’s idea of ​​settling Vrubel in a house rented for his wife and girls as a mild disciplinary measure horrified Elizaveta Grigorievna. “Vrubel is returning to Rome one of these days,” she anxiously reports to the Moscow confidential, “he is taking a workshop and will work on his “demons.” I don’t want him to live with us, he will be too difficult for us.” It was impossible to impose on a wife mourning the death of her son Vrubel, who, in her words, “is one of the misfortunes of our life” and in general “poisons everything for us.”

Vrubel also did not get along with the Russian artists who worked in Rome; he behaved with them, as Elizaveta Grigorievna writes, “terribly stupid,” that is, he bullied them, teased them with the usual remarks about imitation, poor imagination, inability to draw, etc. He was only friends with brothers Svedomsky, had fun with them in their favorite variety show “Apollo” or in the company of artists and poets from all over Europe had fun in the noisy, smoky cafe “Aranyo”. To all Roman studios and workshops, he preferred the exotic bachelor dwelling of the Svedomskys, which Vladimir Kign (Dedlov) told readers of the Week about.

“The very entrance promised something fantastic with its corridors, courtyards, nowhere else except Rome, unprecedented crappy doors that unexpectedly revealed beautiful pictures of the sky, orange orchards, hills and walls decorated with ivy, roses and linen drying after washing. The workshop turned out to be even more extraordinary, with its fantastic decoration and the fantastic existence of its owners. These were two huge rooms, like some kind of dance hall in a decent provincial club. At the same time, the workshop also resembled a greenhouse, because one wall and ceiling were entirely glass, and there were linen curtains hanging on the windows and under the ceiling to control the light. These are real sails, and the ropes with which they are pulled back and pulled back are whole gear.

I don’t know what the walls of the fantastic building are made of, but, apparently, they are made of something wet: in many places there are damp spots and drips. In both rooms there was a stove, of course, a Roman one, in the form of a tin box with an iron pipe, whimsically meandering throughout the entire space of the workshop. The stoves are white-hot, the pipes are red-hot; the fire roars like a distant waterfall, but the rooms are still cold, so you can see your breathing. The fountain of ice-cold water gushing from the wall into the marble box - the pool - contributes a lot to the low temperature. It is impossible to stop the water because the pipes will burst. The water supply system was built under the Roman emperors and, as you can see, is “rather imperfect.”

...The walls of the workshop depict something completely bizarre - either a huge Persian carpet or a palette. The owners light the lamps, and we can look around in more detail. It turns out there are paintings, sketches, sketches on the walls. Between them are draperies of beautiful fabrics, carpets, ancient weapons, characteristic costumes, shelves with artistic dishes. In places, dust and cobwebs tried to give this beautiful decoration a melancholic look of artistic reverie. Several soft and wide sofas placed around the studio are reminiscent of artistic laziness. The cold, almost frost, makes you think about the coldness of a single existence. But a huge painting in progress and several fresh studies and sketches on easels indicate what the owners are completely focused on, forgetting about dust, cobwebs and cold.”

The most famous Russian Pole here, Henryk Semiradsky, also lived in Rome for a long time. Caressed by the love of the Romans, awarded a laurel wreath by the Academy of St. Luke, this master built himself a huge palace-house on Via Gaeta, with a two-story workshop, which was immediately included in the guide to the Eternal City. Semiradsky’s younger classmate in Chistyakov’s workshop, Mikhail Vrubel, did not look here, at the mansion where the master received crowned heads or luminaries of world painting like Lawrence Alma-Tadema and Hans Makart. Perhaps from a distance, from the street, he admired the marble facade with antique pilasters, but most likely, he did not even want to admire it, disappointed in the once very attractive effects of Semiradsky’s brush. In Vrubel, in his rapture of maestry, there also lurked a certain danger of following the course of a painter, whose undoubted artistry evokes, however, a vague feeling of pleasure mixed with indignation. The recent proposal of a famous art critic to consider Semiradsky’s art in the sphere of purely decorative art was sounded wisely. Then everything is in its place: enjoy the beautiful parades of costumed “Christians”, “Caesars”, “ancient Greeks” and no reproaches for emptiness, vain expectations of the trembling of greedy spiritual fibers.

And the work of Vrubel’s friends Svedomsky, the small epigones of Genrikh Ippolitovich, is it any nicer? Precisely “smallness”. The charm of cheerful and nice, fairly conscientious muffins without grandiose universal pretensions.

Pavel and Alexander Svedomsky warmly received Vrubel, unconditionally recognized his creative superiority, willingly shared orders with him, were always ready to help out with money, warm him with comradely understanding and humor. These attractive characters of Roman-Russian bohemia were not suitable only for the role of at least somewhat strict guardians, capable of curbing the desire for idle debauchery.

The only one who could help was Alexander Antonovich Rizzoni, well known throughout the Russian colony. A student of the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, half-Italian by origin, Rizzoni, after retirement abroad, settled permanently in Rome. He painted genre miniatures that were innocent in content and valued by collectors, usually scenes from the life of the Catholic clergy or religious Judaism, and expressed his grateful love for Russia by becoming a true kind genius for Russian artists who came to Rome. Are you embarrassed by your poor knowledge of foreign languages, don’t know where to live, buy a canvas, hire models, or, God forbid, your luggage disappeared at customs, you lost your documents, you were robbed by scammers? Don’t despair, you just need to get to the Greco cafe, the evening gathering place for Russians, wait for the gloomy old man Rizzoni to appear and rest assured that Alexander Antonovich will sort everything out, arrange everything.

Mamontov managed to agree that Mikhail Vrubel would work in Rizzoni’s workshop, under his direct supervision. Vrubel considered this option a great success. I remembered how often, how heartily Pavel Petrovich Chistyakov spoke about this friend of his youth. He always strongly advised students going to Rome: “Try to get to know Alexander Antonovich Rizzoni. You won’t get anything other than good things from him.” Not to Vrubel personally, but as if specifically to him, he gave the order:

Stay acquainted with Rizzoni, even if he begins to rage - never mind, don’t look. He is kind and businesslike. Go to bed earlier and get up earlier.

Vrubel began working for Rizzoni. The manner in which the mentor meticulously painted his small, smooth canvases was funny and alien, giving plenty of reasons for subtle sarcasm. Vrubel had no desire to smile. The amazing old man considered it blasphemous to intrude on the sacrament of personal, honest service to painting. Individual approaches were not discussed. Only holy loyalty to the craft was essential, only betrayal was terrible. Rizzoni severely reprimanded them for being late, denounced the vile habit of shirking, and scolded them for every extra lunch hour at the trattoria. Vrubel apologized ashamedly and atoned for his sins with feats of diligence. He believed Rizzoni - not a shadow of self-interest, seeking, coquetry, or thoughts of pleasing anyone. So instead of giggles, there is only eternal gratitude. “I was too young and contrary in worldly tastes and methods to bribe Rizzoni with anything, and yet few people from whom I heard such a fair, so benevolent assessment,” Vrubel would write a decade later. He was then lucky to meet a modest righteous man from art. An important meeting in his life, and, by the way, the pattern of Vrubel’s biography contains some anticipation of it. That workshop on Vasilyevsky Island, where, while studying at the Academy, Vrubel wrote “The Model in a Renaissance Setting”, composed “Hamlet and Ophelia”, where he first joyfully discovered a “living piece” in his composition, long before Vrubel was occupied by a student of the Academy of Arts, Alexander Rizzoni .

We came in to see how the re-education of “not a little sparrow, but a bomber,” Mamontov and three young ladies, was going on. We were surprised - “Rizzoni is training Vrubel, we want to send him a thank-you address.”

Life studies, sketches for the Private Opera, compositions of cathedral paintings for the Svedomsky brothers, but your own free creativity? In Elizaveta Vrubel’s letter to her parents, among other things, it is mentioned that Misha “is going to paint a picture in Rome for the Paris Salon.” And if this was something more than a phrase thrown in passing, I would like to know with what plot Vrubel was going to put to shame the soulless “crackling atmosphere” of the Paris exhibitions. Apparently, the artist chose “The Snow Maiden” as the subject.

In the Vrubel family correspondence there is a message that on the eve of 1892 “Misha is pleased, but not delighted with Rome; glorifies the mighty nature and poetry of Russia and therefore writes “The Snow Maiden” in a silver-snow sheepskin coat and a hat decorated with emeralds, with the face of a young beautiful girl of the Great Russian type, the figure stands against a background of snow-covered fir trees.”

Here we are not talking about the famous watercolor stored in the Ryazan Museum, which was clearly made in connection with a theatrical production in the late 1890s. The Roman “Snow Maiden” by Mikhail Vrubel has not survived, but, apparently, it - more precisely, as always with Vrubel, to a series of its variations - should include the testimony of Vsevolod Mamontov about Vrubel’s Snow Maiden with the appearance of his sister Vera. And what is more natural than Vrubel’s Roman worship of the “Abramtsevo goddess” that constantly flashed before his eyes? In the artist’s mind, as is clear from his letters of that time, the search for “purely and stylishly beautiful” was intertwined with the hope of finding the reality of “intricate personal happiness.” A fairly clearly drawn object of lyrical inspiration is indirectly confirmed by the nervous reaction of Elizaveta Grigorievna: “We went to Vrubel, made a life-size head of the Snow Maiden in watercolor against the background of a pine tree covered with snow. Beautiful in color, but the face has a gumboil and angry eyes. It’s original that he needed to come to Rome in order to write the Russian winter.” But did she, Elizaveta Mamontova, not know about Italian attacks of nostalgia, and she had previously written from Rome: “The closer I look at life and art here, our Russian becomes more and more attractive to me.”

Mikhail Vrubel continued to work on the same “Snow Maiden” upon returning to his homeland, in Abramtsevo.

The plan to perform at the Paris Salon review somehow faded away. But Europe stimulated the project of quick and easy enrichment.

“I brought from Italy many beautiful photographs of even more beautiful views,” Vrubel busily informs in the summer of 1892, “one fine day I took one of them and rolled it out almost in one sitting on a three-yard canvas; They already gave me 50 rubles for it. If I paint 10 such paintings a month, that’s 500 rubles; and if I sell them for 100 rubles, then the whole 1000 per month. Not a bad prospect?

Amazing! And so that Vrubel would come to his senses earlier. Here he is about the same thing:

I've been thinking about this for a long time; but, tired of the search for the cherished, I never had the energy to get started properly (“as it should” in the letter is boldly underlined. - V.D.) for this great cause. God bless her, with her prism - let nature speak for itself.

However, nature, at least on Vrubel’s canvases, refused to speak for itself. The implementation of a powerful business plan was limited to the amount of 50 rubles. Financial success, which only annoyed my father: “What kind of money is this! For an artist with such talent, with such erudition as our Misha! And this at the age of 36, after he had been at the Academy of Arts for 3 years, was in Paris, Dresden, Venice and, finally, in Rome. After doing almost nothing for 10 years except painting... It’s not clear!”

Without imagination, without “prism” - “prism is our music!” - still it was impossible to do. Now Vrubel intends to work on three large paintings at once. With the help of marvelous photographs, paint a grove of pine trees near Ravenna, complementing the landscape with the figure of Dante, who loved to stroll there. Then Shakespeare's scene with Macbeth and the three witches. “And finally, “The Snow Maiden” against the backdrop of snowy twilight.”

Whether the artist continued to connect the heroine of the spring fairy tale with the appearance of Vera Mamontova or became convinced of her complete indifference to him and stopped focusing on the portrait features of Vera Savvishna, this moment initially only accompanied a much broader internal theme. Already by the choice of the plot, the author showed solidarity with the national-romantic line of the Mamontovites, which was not declared declaratively, but was clearly manifested in practice. The home production of The Snow Maiden, designed by Viktor Vasnetsov, was the most successful, most beloved, most memorable performance of the circle. At the same time, Vrubel’s Snow Maiden “against the backdrop of snowy twilight” is a clear competition with Vasnetsov’s ten-year-old composition, in which the Snow Maiden was depicted against the backdrop of a frosty night forest. And even without knowing how Vrubel realized (or whether he realized) Abramtsevo’s plan, it is clear in what direction - more intimate, sharper, more subtle - he sought to develop an image with an interesting backstory.

The premiere of “The Snow Maiden” by A. N. Ostrovsky, staged on the stage of the Maly Theater in 1873, failed. Critics felt that the play was "replete with lack of meaning", "is not a progressive engine in our intellectual life and has no stage significance." An amateur performance at Christmas 1881 in the Mammoth house caused great delight; The unsmiling Tretyakov, sitting in the first row of spectators, beamed; Surikov applauded loudest of all. The success was based on the intuition of Mamontov, who friendly but firmly entrusted the shy Vyatichi Vasnetsov with writing the scenery and designing costumes to the shy Vyatichi Vasnetsov, who had recently joined the circle and had no idea about theatrical art. He had to, on a whim and “under the inspiring despotism of Savva Ivanovich,” look for the folklore source of the fairy tale play. There was no need to go far - the vibrant landscapes of the Moscow region, the ancient festive outfits of peasants from the surrounding villages, the people's taste for abundant patterned ornamentation and the painterly gift of the designer formed a miracle of artistic novelty.

It is noteworthy that both Vasnetsov and Vrubel did not abandon the image of the Snow Maiden for many years. It’s funny that these heroines are literally directly related: Vasnetsov for his original pictorial version dressed Shurochka Mamontova in a brocade sheepskin coat, Vrubel dressed Verochka. In the poetics of the Abramtsevo community, the fairy-tale Snow Maiden has a particularly honorable, almost central place.

It is more difficult to determine Mikhail Vrubel's place in the circle.

On the one hand, pretty soon he is the main assistant and consultant in all Mammoth endeavors. His position gave rise to slander about him as the court painter of Savva the Magnificent, which later grew into gossip about the weak-willed artist under the heel of a tyrant patron of the arts. It’s disgusting to even refute it. If Mamontov had not appreciated the universal talent of Mikhail Vrubel, it is unknown whether the bizarre genius would have flourished or would have sunk with the epitaph “who promised so much with his Kyiv works...”. On the other hand, few people in the circle got as many jokes as Vrubel. Sad poems were written dedicated to him on the topic of alcohol abuse and other dubious escapades. In the comedy “Near Art”, composed by Savva Ivanovich on the occasion of the fifteenth anniversary of the circle, the main roles were given to Valentin Serov and Mikhail Vrubel. Serov superbly played the gloomy, nervous director Kalinich, Vrubel wonderfully portrayed the provincial tragedian Khailov-Rastrubin, and, as one of the grateful spectators recalled, “he very vividly carried out the scene of the old actor’s intoxication.” Well, Vrubel was not at all averse to laughing at himself. He valued genuine wit no less than genuine sublimity.

But it’s still not entirely clear how he himself felt in the circle. He didn’t seem to shy away from society; he had an abundance of secular skills. He was not at all like Sergei Korovin, who, despite all efforts to lure him to Abramtsevo, gloomily and alone wandered with a sketchbook along the roads between neighboring monasteries. No, Vrubel loved to talk, joke, and show off his manners, but somehow it turned out that he was both nearby and apart. This property of his is perfectly expressed by the episode with “oysters” in the story by Konstantin Korovin.

Abramtsevo, summer evening, artists, other guests, many young people gathered at a long tea table, Repin arrived from St. Petersburg.

“Ilya Efimovich, sitting at the table, drew in a large album with a pencil Elizaveta Grigorievna Mamontova posing for him. Vrubel has gone somewhere. Where did Mikhail Alexandrovich go?! He must be with Monsieur Tagnon. Tanyon is a Frenchman, he was previously Mamontov’s tutor, and then stayed with Savva Ivanovich. He was a tall old man with thick blond hair. Always kind, the same, he was a friend of the house...

Where is Vrubel? I went up the stairs, entered Tanyon’s room and saw Vrubel and Tanyon at work: with their sleeves rolled up and a dull knife, Tanyon was opening oysters, and Vrubel was carefully and neatly placing them on a plate. A table with a snow-white tablecloth, plates, wines, Chablis on ice...

But what is this? These are not oysters! These are our shells and slugs from the river.

Are you really going to eat this?! - I asked.

They didn't pay any attention to my question or to me. They both sat down at the table so seriously, busily, put napkins on their knees, poured wine, squeezed lemons into the shells, sprinkled them with pepper, swallowed these snails, washing down Chablis...

Russian mule, more pepper, is good,” said Tañon, looking at me.

“You will never understand this,” Vrubel turned to me. - You don't have it. You all there - Repin, Serov and you - are just a mess. Yes, there is no subtlety.

… “Wonderful people,” I thought and left. Going down the stairs, I heard the friendly voice of Savva Ivanovich:

Where have you gone, where is Mikhail Alexandrovich?

Looking into Mamontov’s cheerful eyes, I laughed:

Misha and Tanyon. Oysters.

...At night, at the porch of the house, Savva Ivanovich says to me (as I now see his face and white blouse illuminated by the moon):

And Vrubel is a special person.”

Mikhail Vrubel lived well in Abramtsevo. The work of the pottery workshop was so fascinating that the artist lived in a quiet snow-covered estate for the whole winter of 1892/93. Two of his then-era ceramic vases are inscribed with the Latin motto “Spes” - hope, vague expectation. Dreamed of space? Still, it became a bit cramped for the master, who dreamed of painting huge walls. And the reputation, greatly strengthened by Savva Mamontov’s extraordinary attention to the artist Vrubel, made it possible to perform in the monumental genre, which was precisely in those years in demand among the aesthetically discerning heirs of the Moscow merchant dynasties.

From the author's book

Chapter III. I fish Chapter IV. An old man living on the edge of the earth Chapter V. Alone again Chapter VI. Wedding in the forest Chapter VII. Ship! Chapter VIII. Back to Civilization Chapter IX. Colonization successes Chapter X. Melbourne is being built Chapter XI. In Van Diemen's Land William Buckley

Vrubel Mikhail Alexandrovich (1856-1910) is a legend of Russian painting. Not just a bright name, a great genius, an odious personality, but a phenomenon surrounded by a huge number of myths and mystical phenomena. Snow Maiden Vasnetsov Vrubel Roerich

A large number of images of the actress, as well as Mikhail Alexandrovich’s wife Nadezhda Ivanovna Zabela, were preserved. She also acted as his Muse, the Sea Princess, and also Spring. The most colorful among the Artist’s images is the canvas “The Snow Maiden”, painted in 1895 (Fig. 2). Vrubel vividly captured the girl’s loose curls and the image of her face that he liked. A girl against the backdrop of a snow-white forest, with somewhat drowsy eyes and a slightly languid smile. Snow-covered spruce branches embraced shadows with a bluish tint. The Snow Maiden is not afraid of cold and frost, because she is the mistress of this fairy-tale forest, a little sorceress with amazing eyes. Here the Snow Maiden is presented to us as the personification of confidence and a certain looseness. She is in a static pose, which forces you to pay attention to her appearance and look at the details. And yet, before us, a modest young Russian beauty with large eyes full of purity.

The image of the Snow Maiden by N. Roerich

Nikolamy Konstantinovich Remrikh (1874-1947) Russian artist, set designer, mystic philosopher, writer, traveler, archaeologist, public figure. He repeatedly created design sketches for the famous play “The Snow Maiden” by N. A. Ostrvsky. Three times N.K. Roerich turned to the design of “The Snow Maiden” for the opera and dramatic scenes. The performances were performed in theaters in St. Petersburg, London and Chicago. Next we will look at several examples of these designs.

The painting “The Snow Maiden and Lel” was created by N.K. Roerich in 1921 (Fig. 3). Looking at this picture, we immediately notice that winter and severe cold give way to a blooming spring. This is the time when people's hearts open up to the sun - the giver of life, when hearts are illuminated by love and awareness of the beauty of existence. And this wonderful transformation sounds like a hymn and fills the entire living space of the Earth with the rhythm of creative creation.

There are no flowers or lush greenery in N.K. Roerich’s painting yet. Nature is still sleeping, having barely thrown off the shackles of winter cold. But the song of the sunny morning already sounds in anticipation of the first rays of the sun, which will fill everything around with the light and joy of a new day. This song sounds from the horn of Lel, inspired by the inexhaustible source of love - the heart of the Snow Maiden. Her figure, face, hand gesture tell us this - everything is expressively depicted by the artist. This wonderful image of the Snow Maiden was always inspiring for N.K. Roerich himself. His best works are filled with love and beauty. You can also note that the clothes the heroes of the picture are wearing are decorated with ornaments and lines characteristic of the attire of Rus'.

In 1920, already in America, Nikolai Konstantinovich was invited to design “The Snow Maiden” for the Chicago Opera Company theater. However, if the previous stage versions of 1908 and 1912. transported viewers to the fairy-tale world of pagan Rus', the works of 1921 were distinguished by a completely new, unexpected approach and different characteristics of the characters. He himself writes that “after prehistoric eras, the great plain of Russia became an arena for processions of all migrating peoples; a countless number of tribes and clans passed through here.” N.K. Roerich sees Russia as a wonderful land where the heritage of different peoples collide - and from these collisions the great and beautiful tree of Russian culture is born. This is exactly what he decided to focus on (Fig. 4, Fig. 5).

In the theatrical works of 1921 there was no longer pre-Christian Rus'. All elements of influence on Russia are mixed here: the influence of Byzantium is expressed in the image of Tsar Berendey and his court life, the influence of the East is in the image of the trade guest Mizgir and Spring, flying from the southern countries, the influence of Asia is expressed in the image of the legendary shepherd Lelya, who is so close to the image of the Hindu Krishna , the influence of the North - the image of Frost, the Snow Maiden, the goblin (Fig. 6, Fig. 7, Fig. 8).