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Anna Karenina meets her son
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Russian artist Mikhail Vrubel created this watercolor illustration in 1878 for Tolstoy's novel Anna Karenina. The scene captures one of the most emotionally charged moments in the book: Anna secretly visiting her son Seriozha on his birthday after leaving her husband. Mother and child embrace in a dimly lit interior, their faces obscured.
Vrubel was just 22 when he made this illustration, still a student at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts. The work belongs to the Realism movement but hints at the Symbolist and Art Nouveau influences that would define his mature style. The muted palette and emotional restraint suit Tolstoy's psychological complexity.
The painting now resides at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. Vrubel would later become one of Russia's most celebrated artists, known for his haunting Demon series and decorative panels, though mental illness cut his career short.
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About Anna Karenina meets her son
The watercolor hangs at the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. It's part of their extensive collection of Russian art.
Vrubel illustrated Anna Karenina's secret visit to her son Seriozha on his birthday. It's one of the novel's most emotional scenes.
He made this illustration in 1878 while still a student. Vrubel was only 22 years old at the time Mikhail Vrubel created it as part of the Russian artistic tradition.
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