Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan' 1905

Here's an illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan' made by Ivan Bilibin. It's all about these super-saturated colors, reds, blues, and golds, and intricate decorative patterns that pop right out. I imagine Bilibin, totally absorbed, carefully applying each detailed element. I bet he was thinking about how to create a world that felt both familiar and fantastical, drawing on Russian folklore and maybe some avant-garde art movements of the time. Look at the way the figures are positioned against the ornate cityscape—there’s this tension between flat design and depth, which is just killer. The red of the flowers in the foreground, so lush and abundant, contrasts with the geometric patterns of the figures' clothing. I can’t help but think about other illustrators, like Aubrey Beardsley, who were also pushing the boundaries of line and form. It’s all a big conversation, right? We’re all just riffing off each other, trying to make something new, something that speaks to the moment. For me, it’s about the joy of making, that constant exploration, and maybe that’s what Bilibin was after too.