Angel with Labara

Mikhail Vrubel made this religious painting as part of his restoration work at St. Cyril's Monastery in Kyiv during the 1880s. The work depicts an angel holding a labarum, the military standard that bore Christian symbols after Constantine's conversion. Vrubel's interpretation brings intense spirituality to the Byzantine-influenced composition.

Vrubel is celebrated as one of Russia's most distinctive artists, known for his haunting Demon series and decorative works. His style combined Russian Orthodox tradition with Western influences and personal vision. Mental illness cut his career short, but his influence on Russian art was profound.

The painting remains at St. Cyril's Monastery in Kyiv, Ukraine. Vrubel worked there as a young artist, and this early religious work shows the spiritual intensity that would characterize his later, more famous paintings. His approach to light and form was innovative for Russian religious art.