Illustration to Daniil Kharms' book "Fairy Tale" 1971

This illustration to Daniil Kharms' "Fairy Tale" by Hryhorii Havrylenko features simple, bold blocks of color. I can imagine the artist carefully cutting out these shapes and arranging them like a collage, letting the bright yellow background shine through. Look at the figure of the worker: the crisp lines defining his apron and the confident way he holds his hammer. What was Havrylenko thinking as he composed this character? The flat, almost cartoonish style has a directness, reminiscent of early Soviet-era graphics. It's like he's distilling the essence of labor and strength into these simplified forms. Maybe he drew inspiration from folk art or children's book illustrations, creating a visual language that feels both familiar and fresh. It's a reminder that artists are always borrowing, reinterpreting, and building upon what came before, making something new in the process. It shows how images can take on new meanings over time.