Zmey Gorynych 1912

This illustration of Zmey Gorynych, or "Dragon Mountain," was drawn by Ivan Bilibin in 1912. What a graphic and powerful image! I imagine Bilibin carefully placing each line, the red ink dense in some areas, thin in others, the accumulation of marks becoming a mythical beast. Each of the dragon's three heads are crowned and appear to be caught mid-roar! This is a complex creature; you get the feeling that each head has its own way of seeing the world. I am taken by the way the artist contrasts the dragon's vibrant scales and wings against the delicate and creamy background. It is a fantasy landscape and the colors and textures transport you to a world of folklore and fairy tales. As artists we are often in conversation with one another – Bilibin’s graphic style reminds me of Aubrey Beardsley, but with a distinctly Russian sensibility. It's a visual language built on the interplay of imagination, material, and the artist's mark.