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

Here's Ivan Bilibin's illustration, Merchants, made for Alexander Pushkin's fairytale. Look at how he's layering, not just colours, but patterns upon patterns! There's something so joyful in that, the way one idea builds on another. You can feel his hand in every line. Notice the detail in the robes, all those swirling paisley patterns. They’re mesmerizing, right? And then there's that pop of red in the carpet and the merchant's boots – it just vibrates against the blues and greens. It’s like he's inviting you into a world of pure imagination, with the dog as the focal point. Bilibin reminds me of Hilma af Klint, another artist who wasn't afraid to dive headfirst into pattern and symbol. Art's about the conversation, the back and forth, the way ideas keep morphing and evolving. And ultimately, it’s about letting go of fixed meanings, letting the work breathe, and letting the viewer find their own way in.