A penniless artist, Chartkov, finds a magical painting that offers him a dilemma – to struggle to make his own way in the world on the basis of his own talents, or to accept the assistance of the magic painting to guaranteed riches and fame.
He chooses to become rich and famous, but soon comes to realise that he has made the wrong choice in this satire on artistic integrity and the art market.
The opera was composed in 1980 and received its first performance on 20 May 1983 at the Janáček State Theatre in Brno.
A second production, by David Pountney, was toured by Opera North in February 2011 in English (the British premiere)[3] and in Nancy by the Opéra national de Lorraine in April 2011, sung in Russian.
[4] Dancers and mute roles: girl from the painting of Psyche, old man from Petromikhali's portrait, people at the market, visitors at the vernissage