Illustration to 'The crane and heron. Bear.' 1906

Heorhiy Narbut created this illustration to "The Crane and Heron. Bear." sometime before his death in 1920, using pen, ink, and likely watercolor. The image is filled with crisp lines and flat blocks of color, reminiscent of woodblock prints, all done by hand. The floral design, with its repeated motifs, could almost be mistaken for a mass-produced wallpaper, yet the irregularities in the drawing reveal the artist's touch. Narbut clearly knew his way around craft traditions, incorporating stylized plant and animal forms, possibly referencing Ukrainian folk art. But look closer, and you’ll see a kind of proto-modernist sensibility at work too. The simple forms almost feel modular, as if they could be rearranged endlessly. It's a reminder that even seemingly straightforward illustrations can be deeply rooted in a combination of skilled making, cultural history, and forward-thinking design.