Illustration for a poem "Walls of Cain" by Vyacheslav Ivanov 1906

Ivan Bilibin made this illustration for Vyacheslav Ivanov's poem "Walls of Cain" in 1906. It's all about mark making, isn't it? The bold lines and contrasting tones create such a graphic punch. Looking closely, you can see the texture in those stones, the way each one is meticulously rendered. It’s like a conversation between black and white, a push and pull that gives the whole image a kind of vibrating energy. The way the walls are built from individual blocks reminds me of how we build up a painting, layering marks, making decisions, one after the other. The path leading to the gate invites you in, but there's something ominous about those towers. It's a bit like a stage set, theatrical and brooding. Bilibin’s work shares a feeling with Aubrey Beardsley, both artists conjuring a world of fantasy, history, and myth through meticulous detail and bold design. Art's always about conversation, isn't it?