Illustrations for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill" 1956

Editor: This is one of Hryhorii Havrylenko’s illustrations for Mikhail Stelmakh's book "In the Hedgehog's Windmill," made in 1956, using pen and ink. There's such a delicate quality to the linework; it almost feels like a whisper of a memory. I’m struck by the strange combination of realistic detail in the animals with such a fantastical element to the image. What draws your eye? Curator: You've hit upon something crucial there – that balance. It feels both deeply familiar, like a half-remembered childhood story, and utterly strange. The Soviet Nonconformist art movement aimed to step outside the lines, literally and figuratively, so while officially illustrating a children's book, Havrylenko slips in this underlying feeling of, dare I say, rebellion. The very texture seems to push against the perceived "norm", doesn't it? Does it evoke anything specific for you? Editor: Definitely, now that you mention it, the roughness feels like it's intentionally pushing back against something... I’m just not sure *what*. The slight distortion of the figures makes me think about fairytales and the way they play with reality. Curator: Absolutely. Fairytales are the perfect disguise! Think about the context – the rigidity of Soviet artistic expectations, versus the subversive potential of a "simple" children's story. The detail in the fur, the knowing glance of that little creature, all while dressed so ridiculously in dotted clothes... Is he winking at us? Editor: He definitely has a knowing glint. It’s as if Havrylenko encoded something just beyond our grasp within these humble ink lines. I never would have guessed that it’s rebellious in nature, or holds such significant layers underneath it all! Curator: Art is full of these lovely, quiet rebellions. It just proves that sometimes, the smallest things can carry the biggest messages. A useful thing to remember, isn’t it?