Illustration for the epic "Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor's wife" 1912

Ivan Bilibin made this illustration for the epic "Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor's wife" using ink on paper, all the way back in 1912. I'm thinking about Bilibin sitting there with his pen, creating this intricate, fairy-tale world of lines. Look at how every little detail is rendered with the same care and precision, from the leaves on the trees to the patterns on the clothes. You can almost feel the artist's hand moving across the page, patiently building up the image, one stroke at a time. I wonder what he was thinking about as he was drawing? Did he feel like he was channeling some ancient, mythical energy? Each mark a conscious decision, a step deeper into the narrative. The stark black and white feels timeless, doesn’t it? Like these characters and their stories have always existed, just waiting to be brought to life on paper. It makes me think of Aubrey Beardsley and other illustrators, all in conversation across time.