Illustration for the book Living Word 1907

Ivan Bilibin created this illustration for the book Living Word with graphic precision and a limited palette of red, black, and cream. Imagine him at his drawing board, meticulously crafting each line and curve. You get the feeling that Bilibin really relished in the possibilities of the book cover. What can it communicate? How can it attract the eye? It's got all these beautifully stylized, decorative borders. Look at the way those tendrils and leaves twist and turn, framing the text. I imagine him thinking about the legacy of Russian folk art and how it could meet the modern age. The weight of the blocky letters. He was definitely in conversation with other artists of his time, rethinking graphic design for a new audience, and experimenting with how the material qualities of print – the ink, the paper, the texture – can be expressive. Bilibin's approach to art-making underscores how painting offers ways of seeing, thinking, and experiencing the world.