Society and culture: Unknown drawing of Mikhail Vrubel to the poem of M. Y. Lermontov “The Demon” to be presented at the exhibition in Moscow

The exhibition "Gifts to the museum" will be held at the State Pushkin Museum in Moscow from 4 to 8 September 2014. By the Day of Moscow the Museum traditionally presents visitors new museum acquisitions. The exhibition is organized by the Museum collection services, will present at the review of more than 30 valuable objects and works of art recently donated to the Museum.  

Unconditional "pearl" of the gifts, displayed at the exhibition, is an unknown figure of Mikhail Vrubel - watercolor sketch (illustration) to the poem "The Demon" by M. Y. Lermontov.

Its giver – is S. O. Prokofiev, the famous Russian philosopher, poet, journalist, head of the World Russian Anthroposophists in World Anthroposophical society, native grandson of the world-famous composer Sergei Prokofiev.

O. S. Prokofiev died at the end of July this year. The transfer of the figure of Vrubel was his last meeting with the specialists of Memorial Apartment of Andrei Bely, a branch of the Pushkin Museum.

"According to the story of Sergei Olegovich, the work belonged to the Spanish singer Carolyn Kodin - first wife of Sergei Prokofiev and his mother's father Oleg. Watercolor was acquired in the late 1930s to the famous art collector and in 1970 emigrated from the Soviet Union exported by the owner", - said the press-service of the Pushkin Museum.  

Returning to Russia Mikhail Vrubel’s work, of course, requires further study, in consultation with professional art. In 1890, Vrubel executed more than 30 drawings to Lermontov's poem, but not all of them were included in the edition, and a new exhibit of the Pushkin Museum is believed to be true just for them. Perhaps it is part of a diptych with the demon and the second half should depict Tamara.

Sergei Prokofiev, the last years of his life spent in Switzerland, gave drawing especially for apartment-museum of Andrei Bely, believing that it reflects the symbolic beginning of his creative and spiritual pursuits.

Before precious drawing will take its place in the exposition of the Memorial Apartment of Andrei Bely on Arbat, it will appear at the largest anniversary exhibition dedicated to the 200th anniversary of M. Y. Lermontov. The All-Russian inter-museum exhibition project "My home wherever the firmament is…", which is attended by all the leading museums, archives and libraries in the country, will deploy its exposure on September 18 at the State Pushkin Museum.