Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf 1899

Ivan Bilibin’s 1899 illustration for the Russian folk tale "The Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf," is a dark and fantastical piece of art. The illustration depicts a grey wolf running across a landscape with dark trees in the background, symbolizing the mysterious and perilous journey that Prince Ivan must undertake. Bilibin's distinctive style is characterized by black outlines and the use of bold flat colors that give the image a sense of flatness and graphic quality, characteristic of the Russian Art Nouveau Movement known as the "World of Art," which Bilibin was a part of. This illustration embodies the fantastical and often violent themes of the original folk tale, serving as a visually evocative complement to the story.