Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" 1900

Ivan Bilibin created this illustration for the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful," using watercolor, ink, and gold paint to render the realm of Russian folklore. The image is divided into distinct horizontal bands, creating a narrative frieze-like effect. The top register depicts a dark forest scene, with Baba Yaga flying across the sky on her mortar, immediately setting a scene of folklore and darkness. Below, the central band features two Siren-like figures, with woman's head and bird's body, flanking the title in stylized Cyrillic script. Bilibin juxtaposes the beautiful with the macabre. The decorative elements, with the carefully stylized natural forms, create a sense of artifice. At the bottom, text is framed with a decorative border, emphasizing the importance of the written word in conveying the tale. Bilibin’s approach is steeped in the formal traditions of book design, where text and image are carefully orchestrated to produce meaning. The artist draws on visual and literary traditions to invite us into the symbolic world of Russian fairy tales.