This is your introduction to Monsieur Vrubel. As a Russia Symbolist, he was the undisputed leader of the movement.  As a global individual, he was well-traveled and conversant in a variety of languages.  His painting subjects were typically "symbolist": Faust (Goethe), The Demon (from a poem by Lemotov), operas (his wife was an opera singer), and many themes from Russian folktales. Here he is, as a symbol of Russian Symbolists, but in a contemporary rendition.  Mikhail Vrubel lived his life as a bridge between the 19th and 20th centuries, and offers a rich but dark portrayal of an artist's life.