Flying Carpet is a painting by Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov in 1880. The central element of the composition, which from the first seconds attracts the viewer’s eye, the author made a cage with a firebird. The fabulous golden character shines like the sun, casting a glare of light on the face of Ivan Tsarevich. The hero himself stands firmly and confidently on such a seemingly shaky surface as a flying carpet, his gaze is directed forward. He returns home with a victory and a valuable trophy.

The painting “Flying Carpet” by Viktor Vasnetsov is a plot from folk tales filled with deep meaning

The artist painted in great detail and with great love for folk art all the elements of the prince’s costume: a worn caftan with a hole in the sleeve, a saber with a sparkling hilt, and a golden cage of a firebird, decorated with images of dragons and skillful ornamentation.

The flying carpet with a bright pattern is presented in an unusual perspective and looks more like a bird spreading its wings than a floor covering. The entire surrounding landscape is deliberately made in muted, dull green tones. Nature looks frozen: the mirror surface of the river, frozen trees.

Name of the painting: “Flying Carpet”.
Author: Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov (1848-1926).
Year of writing: 1880
Size: 165 x 297 cm.
Style: Romanticism.
Genre: Mythological. Fairy-tale epic.
Technique: Oil.
Material: Canvas.
Location: Nizhny Novgorod State Art Museum.

Viktor Mikhailovich Vasnetsov is a great Russian artist who lived and worked in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

The painter, who began his creative career with the depiction of everyday scenes, gradually moved on to magical plots and became the founder of the fabulous epic genre. “Flying Carpet” is the second work of Vasnetsov in a similar theme. The artist executed the picture by order of Savva Mamontov. The philanthropist intended to decorate the office of the board of directors for the construction of railways and insisted on the fabulous plot of the canvas, designed to show the endless possibilities that open up to passengers.

Vasnetsov did an excellent job with this task, depicting the swift flight of a fairy-tale hero who overcame all obstacles and rose above the world. However, the board members considered this interpretation too frivolous for the working atmosphere, and the work went to Mamontov’s personal collection.

The painting “Flying Carpet” by Viktor Vasnetsov attracts not only with the skill of execution, but also with a life-affirming message. The author in his work demonstrated the victory of good over evil, light over the dullness of everyday life, the desire for a better future, the ability of a person to overcome all obstacles and hardships.