Illustration for the book Under the arches 1907

This book illustration, Under the Arches, was made in 1907 by Ivan Bilibin, probably using ink and paper. The black lines create a strong graphic quality to the image, whilst a more muted red ochre is used to pick out important details. The mark making feels very deliberate, everything is carefully placed, yet there is also a strong sense of imagination in the work. The wave details are a good example, built up from thin parallel lines. It’s as if the whole image is made from strands of hair, or rope, it is very tactile. Then you notice that the forms in the image are frames, arches, windows, containing more images within them, a little like Russian dolls. This is something that you also find in the work of Paula Rego, where the image is always inviting you to look more closely and find another story hidden within it.