Zmey Gorynych 1912

Ivan Bilibin rendered this fairytale illustration of Zmey Gorynych, which is some kind of three headed dragon dude, in 1912 using watercolor and ink. The way Bilibin has meticulously applied these tiny scales to this dragon’s body, and the way he has defined the craggy rockface, it makes you wonder if he was using a super fine brush, or maybe even a quill. These sharp, clean lines give the work a crisp and otherworldly feel. The textures created by the hatching and stippling techniques are so consistent, they almost seem like a printed pattern. I particularly love the way the scaly texture contrasts with the smooth surfaces of the dragon's crown and horns, adding to this fabled creature's strange, regal presence. Thinking about his fellow Russian artist Wassily Kandinsky, who was making pretty wild abstract paintings at this time, it's fascinating to consider how artists can tap into their cultural heritage to tell new visual stories.