Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan' 1937

This illustration for Alexander Pushkin’s ‘Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan’ was made by Ivan Bilibin in 1937, and wow, what a feast for the eyes! This black and white piece is a tour-de-force of line work, each stroke building a world of dense detail. Take a look at the Tsar’s robe. The zigzags and geometric patterns are rendered with such precision, it’s almost hypnotic. Then, see how Bilibin uses the density of lines to create shadows and depth, from the dark, cavernous doorway behind him to the Tsar's fur-lined shoulders. What I love here is how the overall image comes together through all of these small marks and gestures. The way the linework gives everything a tactile quality. It makes you want to reach out and touch the icy roof, the Tsar’s elaborate crown, or even the lost mitten on the ground. It reminds me a little of Aubrey Beardsley’s work, but with a Russian folk-tale twist. Like, what if process *is* content?