A moment when I felt really proud of myself during these first two weeks in Moscow was when I managed to find the Tretyakov Gallery on my own (with the help of some directions from fellow group-members beforehand). I have a horrible sense of direction, so bad that I actually mix left and right up on a semi-regular basis. Walking from Red Square to the gallery, there were a couple of points when I felt uncertain about where I was going, but I went with my gut, and ended up at 10 Lavrushinsky pereulok without getting lost.
Once inside, I stopped worrying about where I was going and wandered somewhat aimlessly through the gallery’s many rooms. Before my visit to the Tretyakov I knew shamefully little about Russian artists and art movements, and so my first introduction to Mikhail Vrubel was when I stumbled into a large hall with dark walls, lofty ceilings, and gorgeous paintings.
Vrubel was active as a painter and muralist during the late 19^th century, and took icons, flowers, princesses, and demons as subject matter. His art is beautiful, dark, and deeply emotional. Each painting is dreamlike, and many recall myths and fairy-tales.
It’s hard for me to choose a favorite work from the Vrubel section of the gallery, but I found Lilacs particularly impressive.