Cover for the book 'The crane and heron. Bear.' 1907

Heorhiy Narbut made this book cover, 'The crane and heron. Bear', in the early twentieth century, probably using gouache or tempera. The colours and patterns are gorgeous, with a real folk-art feel. I imagine Narbut thinking hard about Russian folk tales and traditional designs while he was painting. I love the bold silhouettes of the trees, framing that pale-yellow sky, and the way the little clouds mirror the shapes of the trees. Those decorative borders are amazing too: so flat and patterned, yet full of life. It's like looking at a beautiful old carpet. It reminds me of some of my favourite outsider art, like Henri Rousseau, but also the Vienna Secession—the patterns have a very graphic quality. Artists have been borrowing from each other for centuries. It’s reassuring that we're all part of this big conversation, riffing on the past, trying to make something new.