ST. PETERSBURG, RUSSIA.-The State Russian Museum presents the exhibition, dedicated to Mikhail Vrubel's 150th birth anniversary (1856-1910). It includes paintings and graphic art, sculpture and objects of decorative applied art made in the majolica technique from the collection of the State Russian Museum.

Alongside the artist's well-known paintings: Hamlet and Ophelia (1884), the Morning panel (1897), Strongman (1898), Flying Demon (1899), Six-Winged Seraph (1904) the exhibition comprises such rarely exhibited graphic works, as Vrubel's anatomic studies, watercolor costume designs, works of his academic period, numerous portraits and self-portraits, Vrubel's late graphic cycles: Insomnia, Campanulas, Shells and the artist's last work the Vision of the Prophet Ezekiel (1906) painted in the tragic years of his life, when Vrubel continued to work trying to overcome his illness. 'The creative power has outlived everything in him. The man was dying, decomposing but the master - continued to live.' (Valery Bryusov).

The museum plans to present most fully and diversely the works created by Mikhail Vrubel in the majolica technique at his Abramtsevo studio in the 1890s: sculptures, glazed tiles and the Sadko plate. The famous Vol'ga and Mikula fireplace (1899-1900), created for the World's Fair of 1900 in Paris will be reassembled of 130 fragments especially for the present exhibition.

The exhibition will acquaint the visitors with the unique archive materials from the Manuscript Department of the State Russian Museum, such as photographs, letters and concert programs, designed by the artist. N. Zabela-Vrubel contributed to most of those concerts.

Of special interest are some private belongings of the artist such as a shell, which inspired the artist to create his graphic cycle in 1904, a Chinese box for tea and a traveling candlestick. The exhibition has been organized due to generous support of Vneshtorgbank and Severstal-group.