Spring

Vrubel's first attempts at ceramics began in the early 1890s. The beginning of his career is related to a pottery workshop in Abramtsevo near Moscow, which belonged to the philanthropist and artist's friend Savva Mamontov (Савва Мамонтов, 1841–1918). Vrubel's early attempts were so successful that he soon became the leader of the workshop. The second half of the 1890s was the most significant period in the artist's work and he discovered the technology of making reduction glaze.
Vrubel's wife was a singer at the Mamontov Opera House, so the theatre's repertoire and scenography influenced the artist's choice of images for majolica sculptures. The collection of the Latvian National Museum of Art includes two works – "Spring" and "Sadko", dedicated to the images of Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's operas "Snow White" and "Sadko".
"Spring", like other works of Vrubel's majolica, is a decoration for a fireplace and is intended for frontal view. The work "Spring" well illustrates the tendency of art synthesis characteristic of the Russian Silver Age (1890–1930). The shimmering bright glaze, which resonates with the artist's paintings, creates an impression of fabulosity and corresponds to the intended decorative purpose.