Princess Greza

This panel, Vrubel created in 1896, is striking not only for its size and incredible beauty, but an unusual destiny. It all started with the order of Savva Mamontov, a famous Russian patron. He oversaw work on the design of the all-Russian industrial exhibition, which was held in Nizhny Novgorod. The mammoth turned to Wrobel, who was then virtually unknown to the General public, with a request to write panels for the art pavilion. After some thought Vrubel paints a picture "Princess Dreams".

The plot Vrubel borrowed from the play by Rostand, a story about unrequited love of the Troubadour from Provence, to Melisende — Princess of Tripoli. Fascinated by the stories about the Princess, representing her as the ideal of beauty and generosity, the young man falls in love and goes to tell the Princess about his feelings. In the long sea journey of a young man suddenly strikes a deadly disease. Life it only supports hope at least once to see the beautiful face of Melisende that is him in his dreams. Struggling with the disease, he still gets to the Palace and dies during a meeting with his lover.

On the painting Vrubel "Princess Dreams" we see a boat sailing over the ocean waves. In the foreground is the lovelorn Troubadour lying on the deck. Power leave him, but he whispers the song of Princess Melisande, seeing a side to her image. Beautiful girl hovers in the air, her blond hair fluttering in the wind. She bowed to the poet and he listens, giving strength.

Knowing that Mammoths made the order "some artist", the Academy sends in Nizhny Novgorod Commission. Despite the fact that "Princess of Dreams" was not included in the number of exhibits, members are forbidden to show it in the show, citing "photointensity" fabric. Being pissed off, Mamontov gives the order to build for the Vrubel mural separate pavilion, where huge letters was written "Panels Vrubel". This caused in public genuine interest from the visitors did not rebound.

Subsequently, Mammoths, undertaken in 1899 for the construction of the hotel "Metropol", decided to put her on the front ceramic mosaic, fully repeating the panel with a Princess Dream. Today anyone can see it by visiting Theatre way. The painting itself Vrubel "Princess Dreams" after the show disappeared.

Decades later, in 1956, found it by accident, examining at a Large theatre built. A huge canvas (14 x 7.5 m), crumpled, dirty, was littered with old decorations. When he with difficulty made out, he found the inscription: "M. Vrubel". The Council arrived from the Tretyakov gallery restorers, the painting was placed on a large pole and carried in front of the theater — by that time it was already closed to traffic. After the canvas is neatly spread out goggles appeared the reflection of a majolica mosaic from the facade of the Metropole, opposite the theatre.
Today, restored mural takes pride of place in the Tretyakov gallery in the hall Vrubel.