''The Demon Seated'' (russian: Демон сидящий) is an 1890 symbolist piece by Russian artist

Mikhail Vrubel Mikhail Aleksandrovich Vrubel (russian: Михаил Александрович Врубель; March 17, 1856 – April 14, 1910, all n.s.) was a Russian painter, draughtsman, and sculptor. A prolific and innovative master in various med ...

.Sara Elizabeth Hecker
''Dueling Demons: Mikhail Vrubel's Demon Seated and Demon Downcast'' - Art in Russia
Art in Russia, 2012-05-08.

Description

The painting depicts a demon sitting atop a mountain. His flexed musculature and wrought hands contrast vividly with his slumped figure and sad facial expression. He appears at once passive, introverted, proud and solitary. His body shows contrasting masculinity and femininity with his long hair and indolent gaze. His face seems desperate for love in his cold surroundings. The painting's background is a mountainous area in a scarlet sunset. The composition emphasizes the constraint of the demon's figure, as if pressed between the upper and lower bars of the frame. The painting is created in Vrubel's unique style with the effect of crystal edges, which makes his paintings look like stained glasses or panels. That effect was achieved with plain strokes made with a painting knife.

History

In 1889, Vrubel moved to Moscow where he would produce ''The Demon Seated'' as his first large canvas. The work was harshly criticized, yet moved him into a higher realm of artistic expression. In this piece, among others, Vrubel explored the theme of a Demon from

Mikhail Lermontov Mikhail Yuryevich Lermontov (; russian: Михаи́л Ю́рьевич Ле́рмонтов, p=mʲɪxɐˈil ˈjurʲjɪvʲɪtɕ ˈlʲɛrməntəf; – ) was a Russian Romantic writer, poet and painter, sometimes called "the poet of the Caucas ...

's 1839 poem, which tells of a Byronic demon that fell in love with a

Georgian Georgian may refer to: Common meanings * Anything related to, or originating from Georgia (country) ** Georgians, an indigenous Caucasian ethnic group ** Georgian language, a Kartvelian language spoken by Georgians **Georgian scripts, three scrip ...

princess, who dies as a result of his kiss. Vrubel portrays the Demon as a romantic spirit, full of hope and searching for harmony and truth. He seems to briefly fulfill his longing, but suddenly has his hopes dashed. The Demon is disillusioned and pines for retribution. In the end, he is crushed and has no place in this world.Russian Art: Mikhail Vrubel (1856-1910)
/ref> Vrubel described this Demon as “a spirit uniting in itself masculine and feminine qualities…a spirit, not so much evil as suffering and sorrowing, but in all that a powerful spirit…a majestic spirit”. Later, the painter created two more pieces on that theme: ''

The Demon Flying ''The'' () is a grammatical article in English, denoting persons or things already mentioned, under discussion, implied or otherwise presumed familiar to listeners, readers, or speakers. It is the definite article in English. ''The'' is the m ...

'' (1899) and ''

The Demon Downcast ''The Demon Downcast'' (russian: Демон поверженный) is a piece by the Russian painter Mikhail Vrubel, created around 1901-1902. Description The painting was made on canvas with oil. Its background is a mountainous area in a sc ...

'' (1901—1902).

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Demon Seated 1890 paintings Paintings by Mikhail Vrubel Collections of the Tretyakov Gallery