The Swan Princess

Mikhail Vrubel · 1900

🧒 Art for Kids 🇷🇺 Russia 🌙 Symbolism & Art Nouveau

Why it's great

A bird-woman with a swan's wings looks back over her shoulder against a darkening sky, wearing a jeweled crown. Vrubel painted the Swan Princess from a Russian opera, and his wife sang the role. The shimmering colors look like mosaic. It's one of the most captivating Russian fairy-tale paintings.

👀 Look closer!

This princess has wings. What does she have on her head?

Where to see it

📍 State Tretyakov GalleryMoscow, Russia

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Hang it on your wall

⬇ Hi-res download 1,346 × 2,048 px · 2.8 megapixels This is the largest scan on Wikimedia Commons, which is fairly small for a big print. The museum that owns it may offer a larger one. File page & license ↗

Three places to look for a print of this painting, from budget to museum-grade:

💵 Budget Etsy ↗ Posters and simple prints from small sellers, usually the lowest prices. 🖼️ Mid-range Fine Art America ↗ Good printing on paper, canvas or metal, made to order, with framing options. 🏛️ High-end Meisterdrucke ↗ Museum-grade giclée prints on archival paper or canvas, the closest to the real thing.

These links open search results on each shop's own website; we don't sell anything or earn a commission, and print quality varies by seller. Ask a grown-up before you buy anything.

About the artist

Mikhail Vrubel

1856–1910 · born in Omsk · died in Saint Petersburg

Mikhail Vrubel was born in Omsk, Siberia, and studied in Saint Petersburg. He lived in Russia and Ukraine, creating glittering, mosaic-like paintings and designs for theaters. He is best known for paintings of the Demon, a moody figure from a Russian poem. He lost his sight in later life and died in Saint Petersburg in 1910.