The subjects of many of his works were inspired by his own memories of his stay in Italy in 1884–1885. There M.A. Vrubel studied medieval mosaics and stained-glass windows of San Marco and the Church of St. Mary. In this beautiful country he became acquainted with the works of such masters of the early Renaissance as Carpaccio, Giovanni Bellini, Cima de Conegliano.
The panel was created for the house of K.G. and E. D. Duncker in Moscow, but was rejected by the commissioners and purchased by K. D. Artsybushev.

Vrubel Mikhail

Vrubel, Mikhail Alexandrovich
1856, Omsk -1910, St Petersburg
Painter, draughtsman, theatrical designer, applied artist, portraitist, writer of philosophical Symbolist compositions. Studied law at St Petersburg University (1874-79) and art under Pavel Chistyakov at the Imperial Academy of Arts (1880-84). Academician of painting (1905). Member of the Abramtsevo circle (from 1889). Contributed to exhibitions (from 1891). Contributed to the exhibitions of the Moscow Fellowship of Artists (1895, 1899, 1904), Exhibition of Russian and Finnish Artists (1898), World of Art (1900-03, 1906; member from 1900, 1911), 36 Artists (1901, 1902), Union of Russian Artists (1903-10; founding member), Exposition Universelle in Paris (1900; gold medal) and the International Exhibitions in Vienna (1901) and Venice (1907). Designed for Sawa Mamontov''s Russian Private Opera (1890-1901).