Magazine "Russian Opera in Paris" 1930

This magazine cover, *Russian Opera in Paris,* was made by Ivan Bilibin sometime around 1930. You can really see the artist's hand in this, right? I mean, you just know he took so much pleasure in describing all these decorative details. I can imagine Bilibin in his studio, carefully delineating the rider, the horse, and all the decorative elements. Look at how the pattern of the horse's cloak mirrors the decorative border around the whole image. The flatness of the colour and the ornamental patterning shows his awareness of art nouveau. You can see how he took something from the past to comment on culture as he knew it. And in a way, isn't that what we all do? I think artists are always in conversation with each other, borrowing, stealing, and building on ideas from the past. It’s not about having the final word, but being part of the conversation.