Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Salt" 1931

Ivan Bilibin made this illustration for the Russian fairy story "Salt" using watercolor and ink, I imagine, back in 1931. The image is filled with this fantastical scene of a giant wading through the sea, carrying a small boy on his shoulders. I can't help but think about Bilibin at his table, hunched over, carefully layering those lines and colors. What's going through his head as he imagines this magical world? Is he thinking about other folk tales? Other artists who also conjured up these kinds of vivid dreamscapes? Look at how he’s rendered the waves. You can almost feel the push and pull of the current. That dolphin leaping up gives the image a real sense of depth and movement. The way the giant's beard flows – it's as if he's moving through the water. You see a little boat in the distance, and the overall impression is one of narrative tension. Painting is a conversation through time. Every artist builds on what came before, inspired and challenged by the work of others. It's all one big, beautiful, messy dialogue.