Three Princesses of the Underground Kingdom

"Three Princesses of the Underworld" - paintings by Viktor Vasnetsov.

In 1880-1881, Savva Mamontov commissioned Viktor Vasnetsov three paintings for the office of the board of the Donetsk Railway. Vasnetsov wrote "Three Princesses of the Underworld", "Carpet-Plane" and "Battle of the Scythians with the Slavs".

The picture is based on the fairy tale "Underground Kingdoms". The painting "Three Princesses of the Underworld" personifies the richness of the bowels of the Donbass, for which the plot of the fairy tale is slightly changed - it depicts the princess of coal. Members of the board did not accept Vasnetsov's works on a fairy-tale theme as inappropriate for the office premises.

In 1884, Vasnetsov painted another version of the picture, slightly changing the composition and color. The painting is acquired by the Kiev collector and philanthropist I. N. Tereshchenko.

In the new version, the position of the hands of the princess of coal changed, now they lay along the body, which gave the figure calm and majesty.

The 1881 version is kept in the State Tretyakov Gallery. Painted in oil on canvas. Dimensions: 152.7×165.2 cm. Entered the Tretyakov Gallery in 1910 according to the will of M.A. Morozov. Inv. 1014

The 1884 version is kept in the National Museum "Kyiv Art Gallery". Painted in oil on canvas. Size: 164×297 cm.