[ Home ]  

More Bilibin Artwork
           

Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin was born in Tarkhovka near St Petersburg. Bilibin was the son of a physician who trained as an artist and a lawyer, but whose inner conviction lead him to become an illustrator of books, mainly based on stylised Russian folk and medieval art.

While studying at the studio of Princess Maria Tenesheva under Ilya Repin he was commissioned by the government Department for the Production of State Documents to illustrate a series of Russian folk stories.

IVAN THE TSAR'S SON AND THE FIREBIRD.
Illustration to the fairy-tale "Ivan the Tsar's Son, the Firebird, and the Grey Wolf. 1899

THE MERCHANTS VISIT TSAR SALTAN.
Illustration to "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Pushkin. 1905

This series,eventually published in six slim paperback volumes brought him to the attention of the newly formed World of Art (Mir Istkusstva) group headed by Serge Diaghilev and Alexander Benois.

Tsar Dadon stands before the Shemakha queen.
Illustration to "The Tale of the Golden Cockerel" by Pushkin, 1906

Commissions for their journal followed and established Bilibin within that circle which was to become the basis of his career as an illustrator.

"AND BEHOLD! TO HIS AMAZE./ A GREAT CITY MET HIS GAZE."
Illustration to "The Tale of Tsar Saltan" by Pushkin. 1905

Bilibin worked on a series of illustrations for a collection of heroic tales "Tale of the City of Kiev and the Russian Bogatyrs".

cjwspax©y2k

Scans of the works shown here are courtesy of Goznak (Moscow) and Aurora Art Publishers (St Petersburg)