"Big Bilibinsky" style. Ivan Bilibin artist. Illustrations for fairy tales Which fairy tales did Bilibin illustrate?

Fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" 1899

There are many children's book illustrators. One of the outstanding illustrators is Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. It was his illustrations that helped create an elegant and accessible children's book.

Focusing on the traditions of ancient Russian and folk art, Bilibin developed a logically consistent system of graphic techniques, which remained fundamental throughout his entire work. This graphics system, as well as the originality of Bilibin’s interpretation of epic and fairy tale images gave the opportunity to talk about a special Bilibin style.

Fragment of a portrait of Ivan Bilibin by Boris Kustodiev 1901

It all started with an exhibition of Moscow artists in 1899 in St. Petersburg, at which I. Bilibin saw the painting “Bogatyrs” by V. Vasnetsov. Brought up in a St. Petersburg environment, far from any fascination with the national past, the artist unexpectedly showed interest in Russian antiquity, fairy tales, and folk art. In the summer of the same year, Bilibin left for the village of Egny, Tver province, to see for himself dense forests, transparent rivers, wooden huts, hear fairy tales and songs. Paintings from the exhibition of Viktor Vasnetsov come to life in the imagination. Artist Ivan Bilibin begins to illustrate Russian folk tales from Afanasyev's collection. And in the fall of the same year, the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers (Goznak) began publishing a series of fairy tales with Bilibin’s drawings. Over the course of 4 years, Bilibin illustrated seven fairy tales: “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “White Duck”, “The Frog Princess”, “Marya Morevna”, “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf” , “Feather of Finist Yasna-Falcon”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”. Editions of fairy tales are of the type of small, large-format notebooks. From the very beginning, Bilibin's books were distinguished by their patterned designs and bright decorativeness. The artist did not create individual illustrations, he strove for an ensemble: he drew the cover, illustrations, ornamental decorations, font - he stylized everything to resemble an old manuscript.

The names of the fairy tales are written in Slavic script. To read, you need to look closely at the intricate design of the letters. Like many graphic artists, Bilibin worked on decorative type. He knew fonts well different eras, especially the Old Russian charter and semi-statut. For all six books, Bilibin draws the same cover, on which the Russians are placed fairy tale characters: three heroes, the bird Sirin, the Serpent-Gorynych, the hut of Baba Yaga. All page illustrations are surrounded by ornamental frames, like rustic windows with carved frames. They are not only decorative, but also have content that continues the main illustration. In the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” the illustration with the Red Horseman (sun) is surrounded by flowers, and the Black Horseman (night) is surrounded by mythical birds with human heads. The illustration with Baba Yaga's hut is surrounded by a frame with toadstools (what else could be next to Baba Yaga?). But the most important thing for Bilibin was the atmosphere of Russian antiquity, epic, fairy tale. From authentic ornaments and details, he created a half-real, half-fantastic world. Ornament was a favorite motif of ancient Russian masters and main feature art of that time. These are embroidered tablecloths, towels, painted wooden and pottery, houses with carved platbands and lintels. In his illustrations, Bilibin used sketches of peasant buildings, utensils, and clothing made in the village of Yegny.

Fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" 1900

Fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" Black Horseman 1900

Bilibin proved himself to be a book artist; he did not limit himself to making individual illustrations, but strived for integrity. Feeling the specificity of book graphics, he emphasizes the plane with a contour line and monochromatic watercolor painting. Systematic drawing lessons under the guidance of Ilya Repin and acquaintance with the magazine and society “World of Art” contributed to the growth of Bilibin’s skill and general culture. The expedition to the Vologda and Arkhangelsk provinces on the instructions of the ethnographic department of the World of Art society was of decisive importance for the artist. Bilibin became acquainted with the folk art of the North, saw with his own eyes ancient churches, huts, utensils in the house, ancient outfits, embroidery. Contact with the original artistic source national culture forced the artist to practically re-evaluate his early works. From now on, he will be extremely accurate in depicting architecture, costume, and everyday life. From his trip to the North, Bilibin brought back many drawings, photographs, and a collection of folk art. Documentary justification for every detail becomes unchanged creative principle artist. Bilibin's passion for ancient Russian art was reflected in the illustrations for Pushkin's fairy tales, which he created after a trip to the North in 1905–1908. Work on fairy tales was preceded by the creation of sets and costumes for Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by A.S. Pushkin.

Fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful" Red Horseman 1902

Bilibin achieves special brilliance and invention in his illustrations for the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin. The luxurious royal chambers are completely covered with patterns, paintings, and decorations. Here the ornament so abundantly covers the floor, ceiling, walls, clothes of the king and boyars that everything turns into a kind of unsteady vision, existing in a special illusory world and ready to disappear. “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” was the most successful for the artist. Bilibin combined the satirical content of the fairy tale with the Russian popular print into a single whole. Beautiful four illustrations and a spread completely tell us the content of the fairy tale. Let us remember the popular print, which contained a whole story in a picture. Were a huge success Pushkin's tales. The Russian Museum of Alexander III bought illustrations for “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, and acquired the entire illustrated cycle “Tales of the Golden Cockerel” Tretyakov Gallery. The storyteller Bilibin should be thanked for the fact that the double-headed eagle depicted on the coat of arms of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation is on ruble coins and paper bills- looks not like an ominous imperial bird, but like a fairy tale, magical creature. And in art gallery paper money modern Russia On the ten-ruble “Krasnoyarsk” banknote, the Bilibin tradition is clearly visible: a vertical patterned path with forest ornaments - such frames edged Bilibin’s drawings on the themes of Russian folk tales. By the way, cooperating with financial authorities Tsarist Russia, Bilibin transferred the copyright to many of his graphic designs to the Gosznak factory.

"The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf" 1899

Epic "Volga" Volga with his squad 1903

In 1921 I.Ya. Bilibin left Russia, lived in Egypt, where he worked actively in Alexandria, traveled around the Middle East, studying artistic heritage ancient civilizations and the Christian Byzantine Empire. In 1925, he settled in France: the works of these years included the design of the magazine “Firebird”, “Anthology on the History of Russian Literature”, books by Ivan Bunin, Sasha Cherny, as well as painting of the Russian temple in Prague, scenery and costumes for Russian operas “Fairy Tale” about Tsar Saltan" (1929), " The Tsar's Bride"(1930), "The Legend of the City of Kitezh" (1934) N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Prince Igor” by A.P. Borodin (1930), “Boris Godunov” by M.P. Mussorgsky (1931), to the ballet “The Firebird” by I.F. Stravinsky (1931).

Golynets G.V. I.Ya.Bilibin. M., Fine arts. 1972. P.5

"The Tale of Tsar Saltan" 1904

Fairy tale "Marya Morevna" 1901

Fairy tale "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka" 1901

Fairy tale "Feather of Finist Yasna-Falcon" 1900

Fairy tale "The Frog Princess" 1901

Ending to "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish"

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", the author of paintings and colorful illustrations for Russian fairy tales and epics in a decorative and graphic ornamental manner based on the stylization of Russian folk and medieval art; one of the greatest masters of the national romantic movement in the Russian version of the Art Nouveau style.

Who hasn't read fairy tale books with his magnificent illustrations? The master’s works are an immersion into the world of childhood, fairy tales, and epics. He created his own world, so different from the surrounding one, allowing you to retire into your imagination and follow the heroes on dangerous and exciting journeys.

In 1895-1898 he studied at the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of the Arts.

In 1898 he studied for two months in the studio of the artist Anton Aschbe in Munich. It was here that the study of drawing was given special importance and students developed the ability to find an individual artistic style.

While in Munich, 22-year-old Bilibin gets acquainted with the tradition of European painting:

In the Alte Pinakothek - with the works of classics: Durer, Holbein, Rembrandt, Raphael.

In the New Pinakothek - with modern trends, in particular with the symbolism of Arnold Böcklin and Franz Stuck

What he saw was extremely timely for the aspiring artist. And it was at the Ashbe school that Bilibin learned his signature line and graphic techniques. First, he sketched a sketch on paper, specified the composition in all details on tracing paper, then transferred it to whatman paper, after which, using a kolinsky brush with a cut end, he drew a clear wire outline in ink over the pencil drawing.

Bilibin’s development as a book graphic artist was influenced by other Western book masters: William Maurice, who was one of the first to reflect the harmonious architecture of the book - a synthesis of literature, graphics and typography, and his “Beautiful Book”;

Graphic artists Walter Crane and Aubrey Beardsley;

Inspired by the Art Nouveau curved line of Charles Ricketts and Charles Shannon;

Expressive play of black and white spots by Felix Vallotton; the wit of Thomas Heine; Lace lines by Heinrich Vogeler.

And also the influence (as in general on representatives of the Art Nouveau style) of Japanese engravings of the 17th-19th centuries is noticeable, from which the shades of fill, contours, and isometry of space are drawn; ancient Russian icons and Byzantine painting.

For several years (1898-1900) he studied under the guidance of Ilya Repin at the school-workshop of Princess Maria Tenisheva, then (1900-1904) under the guidance of Repin at the Higher Art School of the Academy of Arts.

During Bilibin’s studies at the Higher Art School of the Academy of Arts, where Repin placed the young man, there was an exhibition of Viktor Vasnetsov, who wrote in a unique romantic manner on the themes of Russian myths and fairy tales. The exhibition was attended by many of our artists who would become famous in the future. Bilibin Ivan Yakovlevich was among them. Vasnetsov’s works struck the student to the very heart; he later admitted that he saw here what his soul was unconsciously yearning for and what his soul was yearning for.

V. Vasnetsov Three heroes

Lived mainly in St. Petersburg. After education artistic association"World of Art" becomes its active member.

Group portrait of artists from the World of Art society Kustodiev

Here is what Mstislav Dobuzhinsky, one of his associates of the World of Art association, writes about Bilibin:

“He was a funny, witty conversationalist (he stuttered, which gave a special charm to his jokes) and had the talent, especially under the influence of wine, to write comic, pompous odes to Lomonosov. He came from an eminent St. Petersburg merchant family and was very proud of the two portraits of his ancestors, painted by Levitsky himself, that belonged to him, one of a young merchant, the other of a bearded merchant with a medal. Bilibin himself wore a Russian beard a la moujik and once, for a bet, walked along Nevsky in bast shoes and a tall felt buckwheat hat...”

So with a sense of humor and charisma in order)

Bilibin himself once said in his youth:

“I, the undersigned, make a solemn promise that I will never become like artists in the spirit of Gallen, Vrubel and all the impressionists. My ideal is Semiradsky, Repin (in his youth), Shishkin, Orlovsky, Bonna, Meyssonnier and the like. If I don’t fulfill this promise, I go to someone else’s camp, then let them cut off my right hand and send it preserved in alcohol to the Medical Academy!”

Turn of the century era—> late 19th-early 20th century—> Silver Age Russian culture—> Art Nouveau style—> association and the magazine “World of Art,” to which Bilibin was close.

This rough diagram brings us to creative method artist. Bilibin could not have come at a better time right time in the right place.

Russian Art Nouveau (European analogues: “Art Nouveau” in France, “Secession” in Austria, “Jugend Style in Germany”, “Horta Style” in Belgium, “New Style” in England, etc.) organically combines searching for new ones, modern forms with an appeal to national cultural and historical sources. The characteristic features of Art Nouveau are the aestheticization of the environment, decorative detailing and ornamentation, orientation towards mass culture, the style is filled with the poetics of symbolism.

Art Nouveau had a fundamental influence on Bilibin's art. The skill that the artist possessed, the subjects that he loved and used were entirely relevant and modern in this period for two main reasons.

Firstly, the gravitation of modernity (more precisely, one of the directions, there were others) towards national epic, fairy tales, epics as sources of themes and plots, and formal rethinking of the heritage Ancient Rus', pagan art and folk art.

And secondly, the emergence of such areas of art as book graphics and scenography into a completely new aesthetic highest level. Also, it was necessary to synthesize and create an ensemble of books and theater. The association and the magazine “World of Art” have been doing this since 1898.

Most of those who were born in the USSR began to comprehend this world with Russian fairy tales “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “Marya Morevna”, “Feather of Finista-Yasna Falcon”, “White Duck”, “Princess” frog". Almost every child also knew the fairy tales of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin - “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish”, “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel”.

The first books with bright, beautiful illustrations by artists open a window for the child into the world of living images, into the world of fantasy. Child early age reacts emotionally when he sees the colorful illustrations, he clutches the book to himself, strokes the image in the picture with his hand, talks to the character drawn by the artist as if he were alive.

This is the enormous power of graphics to influence a child. It is specific, accessible, understandable to preschool children and has a huge educational impact on them. B.M. Teplov, characterizing the peculiarities of the perception of works of art, writes that if scientific observation is sometimes called “thinking perception,” then the perception of art is “emotional.”

Psychologists, art historians, and teachers noted the uniqueness of children’s perception graphic images: attraction to colorful drawings, and with age they give greater preference to real coloring; the same is noted with regard to children’s requirements for realistic shapes of images.

At older preschool age, children have a negative attitude towards the conventions of form. The perception of works of graphic art can reach varying degrees of complexity and completeness. It largely depends on the person’s preparedness, the nature of his aesthetic experience, range of interests, and psychological state. But most of all it depends on the work of art itself, its artistic content, ideas. The feelings it expresses.

Parents and grandparents read fairy tales from children's books with pictures. And we knew every fairy tale by heart and every picture in our favorite book. Pictures from books with fairy tales were one of our first images that we naturally absorbed as children. Exactly as in these pictures, we later imagined Vasilisa the Beautiful.

And most of these pictures belonged to the brush of Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. Can you imagine what influence this artist had on our worldview, our perception of Russian myths, epics and fairy tales? Meanwhile, these illustrations are more than a hundred years old.

Illustrating fairy tales and epics since 1899 (“Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “Finist the Clear Falcon”, etc., Pushkin’s tales about Tsar Saltan and the Golden Cockerel), Ivan Bilibin created in the technique of ink drawing, highlighted with watercolor , his own “Bilibino style” of book design, based on motifs of folk embroidery, popular prints, wood carvings, and ancient Russian miniatures.

These graphic cycles, impressive for their ornamental richness, are still very popular among children and adults thanks to numerous reprints

Focusing on the traditions of ancient Russian and folk art, Bilibin developed a logically consistent system of graphic techniques, which remained fundamental throughout his entire work. This graphic system, as well as Bilibin’s inherent originality in the interpretation of epic and fairy-tale images, made it possible to talk about a special Bilibin style.

The process of I. Ya. Bilibin’s graphic drawing was similar to the work of an engraver. Bilibin's books look like painted boxes. It was this artist who first saw a children's book as a holistic, artistically designed organism. His books are like ancient manuscripts, because the artist thinks through not only the drawings, but also all the decorative elements: fonts, ornaments, decorations, initials and everything else.

“A strict, purely graphic discipline […],” the artist emphasized, “turns its attention not only to the drawing and the difference in strength of individual spots, but also to the line, to its character, to the direction of flow of a whole series of neighboring lines, to their sliding along form and thus to emphasize, explain and reveal this form by these conscious lines flowing around and enveloping it. These lines can sometimes be likened to a fabric that fits a form, where the threads or stripes take on the direction that is dictated to them by the given form.”

I. Ya. Bilibin developed a system of graphic techniques that made it possible to combine illustrations and design in one style, subordinating them to the plane of the book page. Characteristic features of the Bilibin style: beauty of patterned design, exquisite decorativeness color combinations, a subtle visual embodiment of the world, a combination of bright fabulousness with feeling folk humor etc.

The artist strove for an ensemble solution. He emphasized the flatness of the book page with a contour line, lack of lighting, coloristic unity, conventional division of space into plans and the combination of different points of view in the composition.

Ivan Yakovlevich illustrated fairy tales in such a way that children seem to go on dangerous and exciting adventures with the fairy tale heroes. All the fairy tales we know are written with special understanding folk spirit and poetry.

Interest in ancient Russian art arose back in the 20s - 30s years XIX century. In subsequent decades, expeditions were organized to study monuments of pre-Petrine architecture, and albums of ancient Russian clothing, ornaments, and popular prints were published. But most scientists approached the artistic heritage of Ancient Rus' only from ethnographic and archaeological positions. A superficial understanding of it aesthetic value characterized by a pseudo-Russian style, widespread in architecture and applied art of the second half of the 19th century century. Old Russian and folk art were perceived in a new way in the 1880s - 1890s by V. M. Vasnetsov and other artists of the Mamontov circle, whose national quest was distinguished by greater originality and creative originality. Bilibin’s words should be addressed to these artists:

“Only quite recently, like America, they discovered the old artistic Rus', vandalized, covered with dust and mold. But even under the dust it was beautiful, so beautiful that the first momentary impulse of those who discovered it is quite understandable: to return it! return!"

The dream of artists of the late 19th and early 20th centuries about revival high culture past, about creating a new “great style” on its basis was utopian, but it enriched art with vivid images and expressive means, contributed to the development of its “non-easel” types, which for a long time were considered secondary, in particular theatrical scenery and book design. It is no coincidence that it was among the Mamontov circle that new principles of decorative painting began to take shape. It is no coincidence that these same masters, who constantly communicated with works of ancient Russian art, were passionate about the idea of reviving ancient crafts.

Books and theater turned out to be those areas where art directly served to satisfy modern social needs and where at the same time stylistic devices past centuries found the most natural application, where it was possible to achieve the synthesis that in other types artistic creativity remained unattainable.

In 1899, Bilibin accidentally arrived in the village of Egny, Vesyegonsky district, Tver province. Here he first created illustrations in what later became the “Bilibin” style for his first book, “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf.”

In 1902, 1903 and 1904, Bilibin visited the Vologda, Olonets and Arkhangelsk provinces, where he was sent by the ethnographic department of the Museum of Alexander III to study wooden architecture.

In 1899-1902, the Russian Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers published a series of books, equipped with excellent illustrations for folk tales. There were graphic paintings for the fairy tales “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “The White Duck”, “Ivan Tsarevich and the Firebird” and many others. The author of the drawings was Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. Illustrations for folk tales His understanding of the national spirit and poetry that breathes Russian folklore was formed not only under the influence of a vague attraction to folk art. The artist passionately wanted to know and studied the spiritual component of his people, their poetics and way of life. Bilibin brought a collection of works from his trips folk artists, photographs of wooden architecture.

His impressions resulted in journalistic works and scientific reports about folk art, architecture and national costume. An even more fruitful result of these travels were Bilibin’s original works, which revealed the master’s passion for graphics and a completely special style. Two people lived in Bilibin bright talent- a researcher and an artist, and one gift fed the other. Ivan Yakovlevich worked with particular care on the details, not allowing himself to falsify a single line.

Folk art also gave the master some techniques: ornamental and popular print methods of design artistic space, which Bilibin brought to perfection in his creations.

His illustrations for epics and fairy tales are surprisingly detailed, lively, poetic and not without humor. Taking care of historical accuracy images, which appeared in the drawings in the details of costume, architecture, and utensils, the master knew how to create an atmosphere of magic and mysterious beauty. This is very close in spirit to creative association"World of Art". They were all united by an interest in the culture of the past, in the alluring charms of antiquity.

Bilibin's artistic talent was clearly demonstrated in his illustrations for Russian fairy tales and epics, as well as in his work on theatrical productions. In addition to the “fairytale” style with ancient Russian ornamental motifs, there was the production of the opera “The Golden Cockerel” designed by Bilibin in 1909 at the Zimin Theater in Moscow.

In the spirit of the French mystery, he presented “The Miracle of St. Theophilus" (1907), recreating the medieval religious drama; The costume designs for Lope de Vega's drama "The Spring of the Sheep" and Calderon's drama "The Purgatory of St. Patrick" - theatrical production"Ancient Theater" in 1911. A humorous caricature of the same Spain emanates from Fyodor Sologub’s vaudeville “Honor and Revenge,” staged by Bilibin in 1909.

Splashes, endings, covers and other works by Bilibin are found in such magazines of the early 20th century as World of Art, Golden Fleece, and in publications of Rosehip and Moscow Book Publishing House.

In exile

On February 21, 1920, Bilibin was evacuated from Novorossiysk on the steamship Saratov. Due to the presence of sick people on board, the ship did not disembark people at

Since childhood, we have become acquainted with the work of Ivan Bilibin, entering the colorful world of fairy tales, which was created by the artistic imagination of the Master. Many of his works have entered our lives so deeply that their origin seems truly folk, going back centuries.

He made illustrations for Russian folk tales “The Frog Princess”, “The Feather of Finist-Yasna Falcon”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “Marya Morevna”, “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “White Duck”, for the fairy tales of A.S. Pushkin - “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1904-1905), “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (1906-1907), “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” (1939) and many others.

Editions of fairy tales are of the type of small, large-format notebooks. From the very beginning, Bilibin's books were distinguished by their patterned designs and bright decorativeness. The artist did not create individual illustrations, he strove for an ensemble: he drew the cover, illustrations, ornamental decorations, font - he stylized everything to resemble an old manuscript.

In the fairy tale “Vasilisa the Beautiful,” the illustration with the Red Horseman (sun) is surrounded by flowers, and the Black Horseman (night) is surrounded by mythical birds with human heads. The illustration with Baba Yaga's hut is surrounded by a frame with toadstools (what else could be next to Baba Yaga?). But the most important thing for Bilibin was the atmosphere of Russian antiquity, epic, fairy tale. From authentic ornaments and details, he created a half-real, half-fantastic world.

Ornament was a favorite motif of ancient Russian masters and the main feature of the art of that time. These are embroidered tablecloths, towels, painted wooden and pottery, houses with carved platbands and lintels. In his illustrations, Bilibin used sketches of peasant buildings, utensils, and clothing made in the village of Yegny.

I. Ya. Bilibin developed a system of graphic techniques that made it possible to combine illustrations and design in one style, subordinating them to the plane of the book page. Characteristic features of the Bilibin style: the beauty of patterned designs, exquisite decorative color combinations, subtle visual embodiment of the world, a combination of bright fabulousness with a sense of folk humor, etc.

The process of I. Ya. Bilibin’s graphic drawing was reminiscent of the work of an engraver. Having sketched a sketch on paper, he clarified the composition in all details on tracing paper, and then translated it onto whatman paper. After this, using a kolinsky brush with a cut end, likening it to a chisel, I drew a clear wire outline with ink along the pencil drawing. IN mature period creativity, Bilibin abandoned the use of the pen, which he sometimes resorted to in his early illustrations. For his impeccable firmness of line, his comrades jokingly nicknamed him “Ivan the Steady Hand.”

In I. Ya. Bilibin’s illustrations of 1900-1910, the composition, as a rule, unfolds parallel to the plane of the sheet. Large figures appear in majestic, frozen poses. The conditional division of space into plans and the combination of different points of view in one composition make it possible to maintain flatness. Lighting completely disappears, color becomes more conventional, the unpainted surface of the paper plays an important role, the way of marking a contour line becomes more complicated, and a strict system of strokes and dots takes shape.

The further development of the Bilibin style is that in later illustrations the artist moved from popular print techniques to the principles of ancient Russian painting: the colors become more sonorous and richer, but the boundaries between them are now marked not by a black wire outline, but by tonal thickening and a thin colored line. The colors appear radiant, but retain locality and flatness, and the image sometimes resembles cloisonne enamel.

Bilibin's passion for ancient Russian art was reflected in the illustrations for Pushkin's fairy tales, which he created after a trip to the North in 1905–1908. Work on fairy tales was preceded by the creation of sets and costumes for Rimsky-Korsakov’s operas “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” and “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by A.S. Pushkin.

The luxurious royal chambers are completely covered with patterns, paintings, and decorations. Here the ornament so abundantly covers the floor, ceiling, walls, clothes of the king and boyars that everything turns into a kind of unsteady vision, existing in a special illusory world and ready to disappear.

“The Tale of Tsar Saltan” was illustrated by I. Bilibin first. Here is the page where Tsar Saltan overhears the conversation of three girls. It’s night outside, the moon is shining, the king hurries to the porch, falling into the snow.

There is nothing fairytale-like about this scene. And yet the spirit of the fairy tale is present. The hut is a real one, a peasant one, with small windows and an elegant porch. And in the distance there is a tented church. In the 17th century Such churches were built throughout Rus'. And the king’s fur coat is real. Such fur coats in ancient times they were sewn from velvet and brocade brought from Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Italy.

And here is a drawing where the king receives shipbuilders. In the foreground, the king sits on the throne, and the guests bow before him. We can see them all. The scenes of receiving guests and feasts are very decorative and rich in motifs of Russian ornament.

“The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” was the most successful for the artist. Bilibin combined the satirical content of the fairy tale with the Russian popular print into a single whole.

Pushkin's fairy tales were a huge success. The Russian Museum of Alexander III bought illustrations for “The Tale of Tsar Saltan”, and the entire illustrated cycle “Tales of the Golden Cockerel” was acquired by the Tretyakov Gallery.

And we should thank the storyteller Bilibin for the fact that the double-headed eagle depicted on the coat of arms of the Central Bank of the Russian Federation, on ruble coins and paper bills does not look like an ominous imperial bird, but like a fairy-tale, magical creature. And in the picture gallery of paper money of modern Russia, on the ten-ruble “Krasnoyarsk” bill, the Bilibin tradition is clearly visible: a vertical patterned path with a forest ornament - such frames edged Bilibin’s drawings on the themes of Russian folk tales. By the way, collaborating with the financial authorities of Tsarist Russia, Bilibin transferred the copyright to many of his graphic designs to the Gosznak factory.

In St. Petersburg, on Okhta, there is a famous plant mineral water"Polyustrovo". And once upon a time there was another production in its place. It was called " Joint stock company beer and mead factory "New Bavaria". There was also just “Bavaria” in St. Petersburg, and in general there were many breweries. But this one is a mead-brewing one. And the advertising pictures, as it turned out, were made for them not by anyone, but by Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin.

The fairy tale “The Feather of Finist Yasna-Falcon”

Bilibin was the first artist to directly create a children's book, which is based on the most popular type of literature - a folk tale. The subject matter, the large circulation, the clear, accessible visual language of the illustrations, the “festive” nature of the design - all indicate that Bilibin’s books were intended to be extremely to a wide circle readers. Moreover, the artist’s special merit was that he did not make any discounts “for accessibility.” His books carry that “noble luxury of publications”, which previously belonged only to “rich” books for the elite. Bilibin was the first of the World of Art scholars to apply his extensive experience in publishing highly artistic books to work on a children's book. Other artists would soon follow his example, in particular Alexandre Benois, who created “ABC”.

Many books and journal articles have been written about Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin; his work is of interest to many researchers.

However, in numerous publications about Bilibin there is practically nothing about his cooperation with the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers. They usually write that, by order of the EZGB, the artist illustrated folk tales. In fact, everything was not quite like that.

In the fall of 1899, Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin brought illustrations for three folk tales to the EZGB. He was interested in the cost of printing them; his aunt was supposed to publish the fairy tales. In all likelihood, he really liked the drawings for the fairy tales, and the Expedition offered the artist to purchase the right to publish them. Bilibin agreed. Ivan Yakovlevich’s letter to the leadership of the EZGB did not indicate the names of the fairy tales, but it can be assumed that among the first two were: “The Tale of Ivan Tsarevich, the Firebird and the Gray Wolf” and “The Frog Princess”, they were published in 1901 . After the appearance of three fairy tales, which the artist himself proposed to print, conditions changed. Now the Expedition commissioned the artist to illustrate three more folk tales.

At this time, the manager of the EZGB was academician, physicist, Prince Boris Borisovich Golitsyn. From the moment he took up this position, he set himself a difficult task: to turn the EZGB into an institution “that was supposed to serve as an example to follow for the entire paper and printing industry of Russia and, in addition, to contribute to the cultural and aesthetic development of the people by producing artistically printed materials on good paper.” - illustrated editions of Russian classics and popular works in all branches of science.”

In the period from 1901 to 1903, six folk tales were published in the EZGB. In addition to the two already mentioned, the following fairy tales were born in 1902: “The Feather of Finist Yasna Sokola” and “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, in 1903 - “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka” and “Marya Morevna”.

By the beginning of the 20th century, a characteristic “Bilibino style” of illustrations to folk tales had formed with its special graphic techniques drawn from Russian lubok, modern French and Japanese art. He always counted on the typographic reproduction of a drawing, valuing it higher than the original. According to the agreement with the Expedition, it retained the ownership of the photographic prints, colored by Bilibin, from which the work was made, while the original drawings remained with the artist.

Your main task Ivan Yakovlevich believed in a deep and serious study of Russian history. On instructions from the ethnographic department of the Russian Museum, in 1902 Bilibin went on an expedition to the Vologda, Tver, and Olonets provinces, where he collected a large collection of Russian household items and costumes. The collection he collected became the first collection of the Museum of Ethnography of the Peoples of the USSR.

In the Expedition in 1902, on the initiative of B.B. Golitsyn, a special committee was created, which was entrusted with developing a project for the publication of not only well-illustrated, but also fairly cheap folk publications on art and all branches of knowledge in general. A competition was announced for book illustrations. Famous artists and scientists, such as art critic and art theorist, painter and graphic artist Alexander Nikolaevich Benois. On the issue of publishing children's books, he wrote: “Russian children were fed such rubbish in the 1880s and 1890s... Isn’t that why the breed of people who have become extremely coarse has now spread.” Benoit believed that well-published books for children are “a powerful cultural tool that is destined to play a more beneficial role in Russian education than the wisest state measures and all streams of strictly scientific words about education."

The first books with Bilibin’s illustrations for folk tales were that “powerful cultural tool”; they brought the artist and the State Papers Procurement Expedition well-deserved fame, the books were distributed throughout Russia.

Later, I. Ya. Bilibin, together with the head of the engraving and art department of the Expedition, G. I. Frank, decided that the publication of folk tales should be temporarily stopped, that some variety should be introduced by starting to print fairy tales by A. S. Pushkin. In correspondence with EZGB, Bilibin writes about this: “I revere the memory of the greatest Russian poet, in comparison with whom I am a pygmy.” The artist treated the poet’s work with such trepidation.

For several years, work continued on drawings for Pushkin’s fairy tales. “Two illustrative cycles based on Pushkin” were released: “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1904–1905) and “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (1906–1907). They were acquired by the Russian Museum of Alexander III and the Tretyakov Gallery. Work on “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” was not completed.

After the publication of folk tales and fairy tales by A. S. Pushkin, Bilibin’s collaboration with the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers did not end, but these were no longer fairy tales.

The artist worked a lot on the design of Russian, French, German and Arabian tales in exile.

The Bilibins are an old Kaluga surname, which was already mentioned in documents from 1617.

Portraits of great-great-grandfather Ivan Kharitonovich and great-grandfather Yakov Ivanovich (1779–1854), eminent merchants, can be seen in the Hermitage. They are completed famous artist D. G. Levitsky. My great-grandfather owned a linen-sail factory and a large Cherepetsky iron foundry in Kaluga.

The artist's father, Yakov Ivanovich, a privy councilor, was the chief physician of a naval hospital. Mother, Varvara Alexandrovna, from the family of a naval engineer, was a student of the composer A. Rubinstein.

Ivan Bilibin's first wife is an Englishwoman, artist Maria Chambers. He married her in 1902.

Bilibin's son from this wife, Alexander (1903–1972), - theater artist. Since 1917 he lived in England. He worked with his father in Paris and Prague.

Alexandra Vasilievna Shchekatikhina-Pototskaya became the artist’s wife in Cairo in 1923. A student and ally of Roerich, she worked a lot for the theater, creating original sketches for performances. The artist made a unique contribution to the development of Russian porcelain. Her works adorn many museums, but most of them are exhibited in the collection of the Lomonosov Porcelain Factory (now a branch of the Hermitage). The artists were together both during the period of emigration and after returning to their homeland in 1936.

Mstislav Nikolaevich Pototsky (son of Alexandra Vasilievna) most of dedicated his life to careful storage and at the same time popularization of the collection left after the death of two remarkable artists - his mother and Ivan Yakovlevich. He created a museum in Ivangorod, where you can get acquainted with their works.

Popova Elena Sergeevna (1891–1974) - last wife Bilibina, applied artist.

In 1921 I.Ya. Bilibin left Russia, lived in Egypt, where he worked actively in Alexandria, traveled around the Middle East, studying the artistic heritage of ancient civilizations and the Christian Byzantine Empire. In 1925, he settled in France: the works of these years included the design of the magazine “Firebird”, “Anthology on the History of Russian Literature”, books by Ivan Bunin, Sasha Cherny, as well as painting of the Russian temple in Prague, scenery and costumes for Russian operas “Fairy Tale” about Tsar Saltan" (1929), "The Tsar's Bride" (1930), "The Legend of the City of Kitezh" (1934) N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov, “Prince Igor” by A.P. Borodin (1930), “Boris Godunov” by M.P. Mussorgsky (1931), to the ballet “The Firebird” by I.F. Stravinsky (1931).

Returning to Leningrad in 1936, Bilibin, along with his wife and son, settled in house No. 25 on the street. Gulyarnaya (now Liza Chaikina St.).

When the apartment became uninhabitable due to fascist bombing, Ivan Bilibin moved to the basement of the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of Artists, which became his second home. On February 7, 1942, he was taken to the hospital at the Imperial Academy of Arts, where he soon died of frostbite and starvation.

The illustrator found his final rest in the mass grave of professors of the Academy of Arts near the Smolensk cemetery.

Illustrations talented artist Ivan Bilibin to Russian fairy tales (and not only). Before looking at his wonderful works, I suggest, friends, that you read this excellent article

7 main facts from life fabulous artist Ivan Bilibin

Ivan Bilibin is a modernist and lover of antiquity, an advertiser and storyteller, the author of the revolutionary double-headed eagle and a patriot of his country. 7 main facts from the life of Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin

1. Artist-lawyer

Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin intended to become a lawyer, diligently studied at the Faculty of Law of St. Petersburg University and successfully graduated full course in 1900. But in parallel with this, he studied painting at the drawing school of the Society for the Encouragement of Artists, then in Munich with the artist A. Ashbe, and after, for another 6 years, he was a student of I.E. Repina. In 1898, Bilibin saw Vasnetsov’s “Bogatyrs” at an exhibition of young artists. After that, he leaves for the village, studies Russian antiquity and finds his own unique style, in which he will work for the rest of his life. For the refinement of this style, the energy of his work and the impeccable firmness of the artist’s line, his colleagues called him “Ivan the Iron Hand.”

2. Storyteller

Almost every Russian person knows Bilibin’s illustrations from the books of fairy tales that were read to him at bedtime as a child. Meanwhile, these illustrations are more than a hundred years old. From 1899 to 1902, Ivan Bilibin created a series of six “Fairy Tales” published by the Expedition for the Procurement of State Papers. Afterwards, the same publishing house published Pushkin’s fairy tales about Tsar Saltan and the Golden Cockerel and the slightly less well-known epic “Volga” with illustrations by Bilibin.

I wonder what famous illustration to “The Tale of Tsar Saltan...” with a barrel floating on the sea, reminiscent of the famous “Big Wave” Japanese artist Katsushiki Hokusai. The process of I. Ya. Bilibin’s graphic drawing was similar to the work of an engraver. First, he sketched a sketch on paper, specified the composition in all details on tracing paper, and then translated it onto whatman paper. After this, using a kolinsky brush with a cut end, likening it to a chisel, I drew a clear wire outline with ink along the pencil drawing.

Bilibin's books look like painted boxes. It was this artist who first saw a children's book as a holistic, artistically designed organism. His books are like ancient manuscripts, because the artist thinks through not only the drawings, but also all the decorative elements: fonts, ornaments, decorations, initials and everything else.

Few people know that Bilibin even worked in advertising. Where the Polustrovo mineral water plant is now located in St. Petersburg, there used to be the Joint Stock Company Beer and Mead Factory “New Bavaria”. It was for this plant that Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin created advertising posters and pictures. In addition, the artist created posters, addresses, sketches postage stamps (in particular, a series for the 300th anniversary of the House of Romanov) and about 30 postcards for the Community of St. Eugenia. Later, Bilibin painted postcards for Russian publishing houses in Paris and Berlin.

4. Double-headed eagle

The same double-headed eagle that is now used on the coins of the Bank of Russia belongs to the brush of the heraldry expert Bilibin. The artist painted it after the February Revolution as a coat of arms for the Provisional Government. The bird looks fabulous, not ominous, because he painted it famous illustrator Russian epics and fairy tales. The double-headed eagle is depicted without royal regalia and with lowered wings; the inscription “Russian Provisional Government” and the characteristic “forest” Bilibinsky ornament are written around the circle. Bilibin transferred the copyright to the coat of arms and some other graphic designs to the Goznak factory.

5. Theater artist

Bilibin's first experience in scenography was the design of Rimsky-Korsakov's opera "The Snow Maiden" for national theater in Prague. His next works are sketches of costumes and scenery for the operas “The Golden Cockerel”, “Sadko”, “Ruslan and Lyudmila”, “Boris Godunov” and others. And after emigrating to Paris in 1925, Bilibin continued to work with theaters: preparing brilliant sets for productions of Russian operas, designing Stravinsky’s ballet “The Firebird” in Buenos Aires and operas in Brno and Prague. Bilibin widely used old engravings, popular prints, and folk art. Bilibin was a true connoisseur of ancient costumes different nations, he was interested in embroidery, braid, weaving techniques, ornaments and everything that created national color people.

6. The artist and the church

Bilibin also has works related to church painting. In it he remains himself and maintains his individual style. After leaving St. Petersburg, Bilibin lived for some time in Cairo and actively participated in the design of a Russian house church in the premises of a clinic set up by Russian doctors. The iconostasis of this temple was built according to his design. And after 1925, when the artist moved to Paris, he became a founding member of the Icon society. As an illustrator, he created the cover of the charter and a sketch of the society's seal. There is also a trace of him in Prague - he completed sketches of frescoes and an iconostasis for the Russian church at the Olsany cemetery in the capital of the Czech Republic.

7. Return to homeland and death

Over time, Bilibin came to terms with Soviet power. He formalizes the Soviet embassy in Paris, and then, in 1936, returns by boat to his native Leningrad. Teaching is added to his profession: he teaches at the All-Russian Academy of Arts - the oldest and largest artistic institution in Russia educational institution. In September 1941, at the age of 66, the artist refused the proposal of the People's Commissar of Education to evacuate from besieged Leningrad to the deep rear. “They don’t run from a besieged fortress, they defend it,” he wrote in response. Under fascist shelling and bombing, the artist creates patriotic postcards for the front, writes articles and appeals to the heroic defenders of Leningrad. Bilibin died of hunger in the first winter of the siege and was buried in a mass grave of professors of the Academy of Arts near the Smolensk cemetery.

On June 6, admirers of the work of Alexander Sergeevich Pushkin celebrated his birthday. Today we would like to show you illustrations for the writer’s fairy tales, made by a wonderful Russian artist Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin. Of course, some people know this name from childhood. It will be even more pleasant to look at the drawings you once loved.

Ivan Yakovlevich Bilibin (1876-1942) made illustrations for Russian folk tales “The Frog Princess”, “The Feather of Finist-Yasna Falcon”, “Vasilisa the Beautiful”, “Marya Morevna”, “Sister Alyonushka and Brother Ivanushka”, “White Duck” , to the fairy tales of A. S. Pushkin - “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” (1904-1905), “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” (1906-1907), “The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish” (1939) and many others.

The artist developed the system graphic techniques, which made it possible to combine illustrations and design in one style, subordinating them to the plane of the book page. Characteristic features of the Bilibin style: the beauty of patterned designs, exquisite decorative color combinations, subtle visual embodiment of the world, a combination of bright fabulousness with a sense of folk humor, etc.

Bilibin strove for an ensemble solution. He emphasized the flatness of the book page with a contour line, lack of lighting, coloristic unity, conventional division of space into plans and the combination of different points of view in the composition.

One of significant work Bilibin had illustrations for “The Tale of Tsar Saltan” by A. S. Pushkin. Ivan Yakovlevich illustrated it first. Here is the page where Tsar Saltan overhears the conversation three girls. It’s night outside, the moon is shining, the king hurries to the porch, falling into the snow. There is nothing fairytale-like about this scene. And yet the spirit of the fairy tale is present. The hut is a real one, a peasant one, with small windows and an elegant porch. And in the distance there is a tented church. In the 17th century Such churches were built throughout Rus'. And the king’s fur coat is real. In ancient times, such fur coats were made from velvet and brocade, brought from Greece, Turkey, Iran, and Italy.

This fairy tale with its colorful pictures of ancient Russian life provided rich food for Bilibin’s imagination. With amazing skill and great knowledge, the artist depicted ancient costumes and utensils. He reflected the main episodes of Pushkin's fairy tale.

However, different sources of stylization are noticeable between the sheets of the series. The illustration depicting Saltan looking into the little room is emotional and reminiscent of I. Ya. Bilibin’s winter landscapes from life. The scenes of receiving guests and feasts are very decorative and rich in motifs of Russian ornament.

The illustration with a barrel floating on the sea is reminiscent of the famous “Great Wave” by Japanese artist Katsushika Hokusai.

Katsushiki Hokusai. Wood engraving “ Big wave in Kanagawa." 1823-1829.

The process of I. Ya. Bilibin’s graphic drawing was reminiscent of the work of an engraver. Having sketched a sketch on paper, he clarified the composition in all details on tracing paper, and then translated it onto whatman paper. After this, using a kolinsky brush with a cut end, likening it to a chisel, I drew a clear wire outline with ink along the pencil drawing. In his mature period of creativity, Bilibin abandoned the use of the pen, which he sometimes resorted to in his early illustrations. For his impeccable firmness of line, his comrades jokingly nicknamed him “Ivan the Steady Hand.”