“ Flying Carpet ” is an oil on canvas of 165×297 cm painted by the famous painter Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in 1880, This painting is currently in the Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum.
This is the second picture of Vasnetsov, in which he turned to fairy tales and myths. We already wrote about his first picture which was “The Knight at the Crossroads“.
The plot of the “ Flying Carpet ” is the fairy tale story of Ivan Tsarevich, who went after the Firebird, which got into the habit of stealing apples in the royal garden.
According to Vasnetsov himself, the picture was supposed to express the greatness of Russian traditions and to represent a symbol of victory over space. “ Flying Carpet ” reflects faith in the bright future of the Russian people, and in this work, the painter put all his love for folk art and his own understanding of the wisdom of folk epics.
The story of the “Flying Carpet” began with Savva Mamontov, a philanthropist who was the chairman of the board of the Donetsk railway. He ordered three canvases that would reflect the endless possibilities for people to move after the construction of the Donetsk railway track, and insisted on a fantastic plot, which was displayed in Vasnetsov’s canvas “Flying Carpet”. In this painting, the magical means of transportation was to become a symbol of the fastest transport, an allegorical illustration of the awakening of a new railway direction.
However, the members of the board considered fairy-tale motifs inappropriate in the working atmosphere of the office, so the philanthropist bought the canvas and for a long time, the painting remained in Mamontov’s personal collection.
At first, the artist’s idea was different from the final version of the painting. Two people were supposed to fly on the carpet – the Tsarevich and his beloved, who bowed her head on Ivan’s shoulder.
But after a long search, Vasnetsov left only one hero on the carpet, handing him a cage with an unprecedented trophy – a firebird.
Each image in this picture has its own symbolic meaning. If you look closely at the canvas, you will immediately notice that the upper part of the picture is brighter and more saturated. The pink shades with which the sun adorned the sky symbolically indicate the victory of the hero of the fairy tale, who overcame all difficulties. He was able to escape from the chase and caught the Firebird, which got into the habit of stealing apples in the royal garden. But the Firebird is the only full-fledged source of light in the picture. Even the moon, visible in the background, cannot compare with it. And to depict the real world, Vasnetsov used already dark and gloomy halftones and shades.
Each character is made so realistically that looking at this canvas, it involuntarily seems that such a carpet really exists somewhere.
Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Flying Carpet stand out as a bright colorful spot against the background of a lifeless and dull landscape. Bright colors symbolize the triumph of a person’s dream come true.
The magic carpet is depicted in flight and the tsar stands on it to his full height. Ivan himself is the personification of courage. The carpet simply hurries across the sky, and this is visible thanks to the way the clothes of the prince and his hair are moving.
The flying carpet is accompanied by three birds. They are depicted in the same colors as the world around them. These large owls fly in front of the carpet and may show him the way. The magic carpet is full of outlandish patterns, some of which are painfully reminiscent of magical runes and may be the reason why the carpet can fly. This magical carpet itself looks like a huge bird with a curved head and wide-open wings with the corners of the weaving product playing the role of its two wings and the canvas slightly arched upwards making this part similar to the back of a bird. When looking at the picture, it is noticeable that the carpet floats smoothly through the air. It soars over the expanses of Russia, majestically rises above the forests and thick fog. Watching this work, one can appreciate how wide the country is.
Ivan Tsarevich standing on the carpet like a captain on a heavenly ship is a sign of victory, self-confidence. He is not afraid to fall, and confidently looks into the distance. It serves as proof that there are no insurmountable obstacles. It can be seen that Ivan Tsarevich hurries through the boundless plains with rivers and fields. He returns from a long journey to the thirtieth kingdom where he managed to capture the magical firebird.
The whole facial expression and posture of Ivan Tsarevich expresses pride from the test he has passed. His appearance is interesting and his clothes delight and amazes with their wealth and luxury. He is dressed in a caftan with long robe which is embroidered with beautiful patterns. The whole caftan is decorated with gilding, and there are many precious stones on the cap. Such clothes were worn in Russia only by noble and rich people. On the prince’s belt is an embroidered bag containing the key to the cage. The sword-treasurer shimmers from the gilding with which it is decorated, and a thick chain hangs around the neck of the hero of the picture, to which a gold cage was attached.
Viktor Vasnetsov has depicted the cage in detail. It is all openwork and wonderful, and at the top, each lattice ends with unusual figures of dragons, in whose teeth there are bells. When the cage sways, a pleasant and melodic ringing is heard.
A beautiful Firebird sits on a thin and graceful perch, and from this firebird an unusual bright light spreads around. The artist uses white for its image, which symbolizes its purity. The Firebird is a symbol of happiness, joy and good luck, but unfortunately, not every person manages to catch one. The shining Firebird in the cage is like a big lantern that lights the way home. Even on a dark night, it shows the way to Tsarevich Ivan, who having achieved his goal, strives to go home.
Everything that happens in the picture takes the viewer to the end of the day, at its very sunset, when the crescent of the moon is already beginning to weakly break through the clouds. You can see not only the sky, but also what lies far below: this is a wonderful forest, and magnificent fields, and a gentle river.
This painting of “The Flying Carpet”, painted in 1880, has become so popular today that its reproductions can be found not only in many private houses and apartments, but also in institutions such as schools, kindergartens or clinics in Russia. And not only an adult, but also every child, without hesitation, will say who its author is and what it is called.
I hope you enjoyed this painting as much as I did
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