Thursday, July 12, 2012

Ivan Bilibin

Today's Art Thursday focus is Russian artist Ivan Bilibin (1876-1942).

Portrait of Ivan Bilibin
by Boris Kustodiev

Ivan Bilibin illustrated a number of Russian fairy tales. He was also a set and costume designer. Bilibin spent sixteen years living in Egypt and France, returning to Russia in 1936. He died in the Siege of Leningrad during World War II.

Tsar Dadon meets the Shemakha queen
illustration for The Tale of the Golden Cockerel, 1906
by Ivan Bilibin

"And behold! To his amaze/a great city met his gaze"
illustration for Pushkin's The Tale of Tsar Saltan
by Ivan Bilibin

Rusland and the head
illustration for Pushkin's poem Ruslan and Ludmila
by Ivan Bilibin

A cell in the Chudov monastery
Stage-set design for the opera Boris Godunov by Mussorgsky

Volga
by Ivan Bilibin

Prince Igor
by Ivan Bilibin

Sketch for Honor and Revenge by Fiodor Sollogub
by Ivan Bilibin

Two more:



6 comments:

jama said...

Like his work! Especially the first two pieces and Honor and Revenge. Plus, Ivan looks hot :)!

Pop said...

Thanks for the introduction to Ivan Bilibin. Had never heard of him before, but I definitely like his work.

I especially like the second of the two pieces you included. Maybe it's for the Firebird?

M Pax said...

Except for the portrait, the rest seem to have a distinct style to them.

Katya said...

I grew up reading the fairy tales illustrated by Bilibin. Many of his picture book illustrations are framed by smaller illustration and I would spend hours as a child looking at all the details...
Jan Brett's illustrations always reminded me a little of Bilibin's.

Katya said...

Oh.. and as for the last two illustrions...
The first is for a book of poetry: земныя дали by Evgenii Tarasov. (translated perhaps as Earthly Distance)

The second illustration says, "Балъ Сказка"
It is not from firebird... it is from a different collection of fairy tales but I can't remember which one and I can't find my Bilibin books right now...
It's an illustration of a harpy-like creature from Russian mythology.

Tabatha said...

That's neat you grew up reading books with Bilibin's illustrations, Katya! Thanks for the help with identifying the last two pictures. (And yes, Jama, he would be good for your blog's "eye candy" section. :-) )