Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin 1906

Ivan Bilibin made this illustration for Alexander Pushkin’s poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' sometime around 1906, and what strikes me most is how the artist balanced storytelling with decorative patterning. Just imagine Bilibin conjuring this scene, trying to match the rhythms and visual language of the poem in a drawing. What did he decide to emphasize? The patterned textiles that define the architecture and clothing of the figures are all rendered in exquisite detail. I think that maybe Bilibin understood the story as a kind of theater, and so the act of illustration becomes an act of staging. These figures, these colors, they’re not just there to represent something literal, but to evoke a feeling, a mood. Bilibin’s practice really speaks to the power of artists in conversation across time, inspiring one another's creativity through shared visual languages. Painting, drawing, illustration - they are all forms of expression, inviting endless interpretation and meaning.