Ivan and Palagna. Illustration to Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky's Tale 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors' 1963

This monochromatic woodcut print, ‘Ivan and Palagna’, after Mykhailo Kotsyubynsky’s tale, 'Shadows of Forgotten Ancestors' by Georgyi Yakutovytch, feels ancient. I imagine the artist carving into the wood, each line a deliberate act, peeling back layers to reveal the stark contrast of black and white. The texture, like rough-hewn timber, creates a world both solid and dreamlike, where the weight of history and the ephemerality of memory intertwine. Those parallel lines! Like grooves etched by time. The human figures are stoic, frontal, iconic, surrounded by an architectural jumble of houses or landscape. Each mark feels essential, communicating a sense of resilience and a story etched in time. Yakutovytch's work reminds us of the enduring power of narrative and the rich artistic traditions of book illustration. We get to see how artists engage with stories, translating them into visual form and, in doing so, offering new interpretations and insights.