Ivan Bilibin

[alias_sqbr]

Are people familiar with the Russian illustrator Ivan Bilibin? I grew up with translations of his books as a kid and adored them, and it's only recently it struck me that those whose mothers are not arty types of somewhat Eastern European extraction may be unfamiliar with him. So: look at his art! Isn't it the prettiest thing you have ever seen?

(Answers of "no" will not be accepted :P)

I was inspired to look him up after getting an idea for a fairy tale influenced piece, but now I feel a little intimidated by the awesome. Alas the books I had as a kid with their cool russian covers don't seem to be for sale any more, but I'm definitely going to try and find some way to buy a book of his pictures, because they are much richer in person. I can't remember if the text that came with them was any good, since we had a couple of versions of those folk tales.

(EDIT: here's some of the stories, ah such a nostalgia trip)

Comments

[aris_tgd]

... Holy crap, YES. I had a Time-Life series of fairy tale books when I was a kid--okay, I had two of them, but one of them was Russian fairy tales, and he did the illustrations! I loved those! And the stories that came with!

Oh, good, now that I know the illustrator maybe I can find another copy. Mine is pretty beat up.

[delicious_irony]

I've loved his stuff ever since I was a child and had a fairytale book full of his illustrations. When I got older and rediscovered him via a Russian Art exhibition at the Art Gallery, I added him to my LJ/DW interests and started researching.

His artwork is amazing..

[aquaeri]

Back in the 90s, I picked up a book about him in a second-hand bokshop and the preetty peectures wanted me to take them home with me. I don't think I've bothered reading the text yet.