Illustration. 'Fairy Tales: Teremok. Mizgir'. 1910

Heorhiy Narbut created this illustration around 1920, likely using pen and ink for the outlines, filled in with watercolor washes. These are traditional materials, but here they’re used in service of a children’s book. Look closely, and you can see how Narbut used the thin, precise lines of ink to create a stylized vision of nature. The drawing depicts the story of a mosquito caught in a spider’s web; even the text is incorporated as part of the composition. The artist’s hand is evident in every delicate stroke, from the spider's intricate web to the carefully rendered toadstools and trees. The flat application of color, combined with the emphasis on outline, gives the illustration a graphic quality, almost like a woodcut. It’s a reminder that all images, even those that seem purely imaginative, are made through labor and ingenuity. By appreciating Narbut’s approach, we gain insight into the cultural values embedded within a seemingly simple illustration, and challenge traditional distinctions between art, craft and illustration.