Background
Ivan Bilibin was born in Tarkhovka, a suburb of Saint Petersburg.
Ivan Bilibin was born in Tarkhovka, a suburb of Saint Petersburg.
Ivan studied in 1898 at Anton Ažbe Art School in Munich, where he was heavily influenced by Art Nouveau and the German satirical journal Simplicissmus, and then under Ilya Repin in Saint Petersburg. After graduating in May 1901 he went to Munich, where he completed his training with the painter Anton Ažbe.
After seeing an exhibition by Victor Vasnetsov in 1899 which included images and scenes from folk lore and opera, Ivan Bilibin was drawn to the remoteness of the wildernesses of Old Russia that gave rise to the legends. His watercolors from this trip were seen and admired by the Department for the Production of State Documents and he was commissioned to illustrate a series of books of fairy tales.
Those books, including “The Tale of Ivan the Tsar's Son”, “The Firebird and the Grey Wolf”, “The Frog Princess”, “The Feather of Finist the Falcon”, “Maria Morevna”, “The Little White Duck”, and “Vassilisa the Beautiful”, propelled the young Bilibin headlong into a career of illustration, set and costume design, teaching and mural painting.
Bilibin's approach to these tales was guided by a strong sense of place. The forests and mountains of Old Russia were predominant players in images that often provided as many distractions as focal points. He seemed anxious to incorporate traditional designs and motifs, often as framing devices for illustrations that didn't require them. Yet his solid depiction of the terrain and costumes made his work recognizable and appealing, despite his youthful miscues. And, most importantly, his ability to bring a sense of reality to a world of ghosts and glowing skulls reinforced the notion that these stories might really have happened and certainly heightened their appeal.
Many titles in this series, with their identical covers, were still in print as recently as 1976. The titles in the center of the cover were the only modifications to a common design that was easily recognizable. The interior drawings showed his increasing skills as both an artist and a storyteller. These images from “Vassilisa the Beautiful” are some of his earliest work from 1899. They're remarkably mature for a 24-year-old and hint at the Art Nouveau influences he relished. By 1902, in “The Little White Duck”, these influences were incorporated into the borders and the foliage of the image.
During and after the fairy tale series, Bilibin worked a lot in pen and ink for magazines, book covers, and “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” a reprise of the folk story in a combination of pen, ink and watercolor. Several other folk and fairy tale projects were begun over the coming years. He never really escaped from his early reputation. He considered the mixture of fantasy, folk lore, and historical and geographical authenticity to be his milieu and seldom ventured very far from it.
His style became more formal and he applied his vision to the sets and costumes of a series of operas, including “The Golden Cockerel” (1909), “Askold's Grave” (1912), “Ruslan and Ludmila” (1913), “Sadko” (1913,14) and others. His reputation as a fantasist and his association with Old Russian imagery served him well in this new career, as did his many visits to the Crimea where he found continued inspiration and flavor for his art.
Bilibin left Russia in 1920 for Egypt, where he set up a studio and lived until 1925. He moved to Paris for the opening of the World Exhibition. He had a one man show in Prague in 1926 and helped stage an exhibition of Russian artists in Paris in 1927. He was, by now, an accomplished and sought-after stage designer and helped stage numerous ballets and operas in Paris, which had its own "Russian Opera Season." Finally, in 1931 he returned to the illustration of Russian and Oriental fairy tales for a Parisian publisher.
He returned to Russia in 1936 where he died in February of 1942. He was in Leningrad during the German blockade. He left several unfinished projects, many of which can be partially seen in Sergei Golynets' “Ivan Bilibin” co-published by Aurora and Abrams in 1982. One project was the illustrations for “The Tale of the Capital City of Kiev and of the Russian Bogatyrs” that he was working on during the last few years of his life.
Resurrection of Christ. The sketch for the fresco of the church of the Assumption in Olshany
Illustration for the book Under the arches
Mihajlo Potyk
Sketch for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Crimea. Mountains
Poster. Historical exhibition of art objects in favor of injured
Andrew-shooter and Strelchiha
Illustration for a poem "Walls of Cain" by Vyacheslav Ivanov
Illustration for the epic "Ilya Muromets and Svyatogor's wife"
Palace of Chernomor. Sketches of scenery for Mikhail Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmilla
Cover a series of poetry publishing Rosehip
Prince Andrew Bogolyubskii
Illustration for the book Russian school of painting, Illustration for the epic "Sadko - a rich guest"
Sketches of scenery for Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the magazine Golden Fleece
Ilya Muromets
Illustration for the tale "Wooden Prince" by Alexander Roslavlev
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Sketch for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the poem 'Ruslan and Lyudmila' by Alexander Pushkin
The Streltsy Uprising
Costume design for the Opera "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Maiden Fevronia" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin
Costume design for the ballet "Firebird" by Igor Stravinsky
South of France. Dunes
Alyosha Popovich
Olive Trees
Crimea. Baidar Valley
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "White duck"
Illustration for the poem "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" by Alexander Pushkin
Sketches of scenery for Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Costume design for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Costume design for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin
Poster of Russian Ballet
Complimentary ticket to a solo exhibition by Ivan Bilibin at Alexandria
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Illustration for the poem 'Ruslan and Lyudmila' by Alexander Pushkin
Sketch for the spectacle, The action of Theophile
St. Prince Vladimir
Donkey, Illustration for the magazine Bogey
Russian Folk Art, Illustration for the magazine World of Art
The Death of Ivan the Terrible
Chernomor's Gardens. Sketches of scenery for Mikhail Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmilla
Illustration for the epic "Volga"
Drawing from the magazine "World of Art"
Cover for the collection of fairy tales
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Sketch for the spectacle, Honor and Revenge, by Fiodor Sollogub
Fragment of cover
Sketches of scenery for Aleksey Verstovsky's Askold's Grave, Mikhail Glinka's Ruslan and Ludmilla, Sadko by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin
A street in Cairo
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Feast of Prince Vladimir
Sketch for the opera, 'The Golden Cockerel', by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Cover for the collection of Russian folk tales
Program of the Russian symphony concerts
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Red Rider. Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Prince Ivan and the Firebird, illustration for the Russian Fairy Story 'The Firebird'
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka"
Merchants. Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Spring
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Illustration for the fairytale "White duck"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka"
Book Cover Alexander Pushkin's "Tales"
Sketch for the opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin
Magazine Cover Bugbear
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Illustration for the magazine Golden Fleece
Nice Candy Castle
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Costume design for the Opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin
Poster of Exhibition
St. Prince Vladimir
Creek
Illustration for the book Living Word
Blessing of the Knight
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Judgment during the Russian Pravda
Fragrances Russian boyars partnership Palle & Co.
Costume design for the Opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin
Zmey Gorynych
Wonderful hero Bova Korolevich
Illustration for the magazine Golden Fleece
Illustration for the Historical Revolutionary Almanac of publisher Rosehip
Illustration for the poem "The Tale of the Fisherman and the Fish" by Alexander Pushkin
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Illustration for the fairytale "Fox-sister"
Princess in the prison tower. Illustration of the Russian fairy tale "The White duck"
Crimea. Koktebel
At the well
Costume design for the Opera "Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Moscow
Bird of Paradise Sirin
The opera "Ruslan and Ludmila"
Illustration for "The tale of three royal divah and the Ivashko priest's son"
Illustration for the magazine Golden Fleece
South of France. Twilight
As the Germans let out a Bolshevik to Russia
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Advertisement of the New Bavaria beer
Boy fellah
Castle of Naina. Sketches of scenery for Mikhail Glinka's "Ruslan and Ludmilla".
Egypt. Pyramids
Sketch for the opera "Boris Godunov" by Modest Mussorgsky
Illustration for the magazine Bogey
Fellah
Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Sketch for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka"
The Prince and the Frog
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Sketch for the spectacle, Honor and Revenge, by Fiodor Sollogub
Bird Alkonost
Winter
Sketch for the opera "The Tsar's Bride" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Russian Folk Art, Illustration for the magazine World of Art
Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Costume design for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Crimea. Batiliman
Mushroom
Illustration for the poem 'Two Crow' by Alexander Pushkin
Deer stalking
Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "White duck"
Underwater. Illustration for the epic "Volga"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Feather Of Finist Falcon"
Cake-city
Big Pine
Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Costume design for the Opera "Prince Igor" by Alexander Borodin
Sketch for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for George Kennan's book "Siberia and the exile"
South of France. After the storm
France. View from the window of the cottages
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Sister Alyonushka and brother Ivanushka"
Illustration for the epic "Volga"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Dobrynya Nikitich
Cave Finn. Opera Ruslan and Lyudmila
Cover of "Art of Printing"
King of the seas
Monastery of St. George Hosevita. Palestine
Bogatyr Volga. Illustration for the epic "Volga"
Portrait of Lyudmila Chirikova
Kulikov Battle
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Drawing from the album
Postcard Happy Easter
Crimea. Koktebel
Costume design for the drama of Lope de Vega's "Fuente Ovejuna"
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Crane
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "White duck"
Baba Yaga. Illustration for the fairy tale "Vasilisa the Beautiful"
Illustration for the epic "Volga and Mikula"
Stepan Razin
Postcard Happy Angel
Illustration for Russian magazines
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Salt"
Illustration for the fairytale "Go there do not know where, bring it I do not know what"
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Salt"
Sadko
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Illustration for the Tale of Prince Ivan, The Firebird and the Grey Wolf
Magazine "Russian Opera in Paris"
Illustration for the magazine Art Treasures of Russia
St. Prince Vladimir
Sketch for the opera "Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and Maiden Fevronia" by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Falcon. Illustration for the epic "Volga"
Costume design for the Opera, The Golden Cockerel, by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "Maria Morevna"
Illustration for Alexander Pushkin's 'Fairytale of the Tsar Saltan'
Provence. Pines on the shore
Illustration for the front cover of the book in the series "Tales"
Courtyard of Al-Azhar mosque and university complex in Cairo
Illustration for the poem 'The Tale of the Golden Cockerel' by Alexander Pushkin
Rooster
Churilo Plenkovich
Illustration for the Russian Fairy Story "The Frog Princess"
Poster of International exhibition in Kazan
Vologda girl in holiday dress
Illustration for the Literary almanac of publisher Rosehip
Crimea. Old juniper
Creek in winter
Bilibin identified his artistic roots in Renaissance woodcuts and Japanese art as well as ‘the art of Old Russia’. As an illustrator, he always bore in mind the end result, the printing process, how truly the paper to be used for the book would receive the image. His striking and humorous illustrations for “Pushkin’s Tale of Tsar Saltan” and “Tale of the Golden Cockerel” exemplify his integrated approach.
From 1937 Ivan Bilibin was a member of the Artists' Union of the USSR.
In 1902 Bilibin married his former student, the Irish-Russian painter and illustrator of children's stories Mary Chambers. They had two sons, Alexander and Ivan. In 1912 he again married a former student, the art school graduate Renée O'Connell, granddaughter of Daniel O'Connell. In 1923 he married the painter Alexandra Shchyekatikhina-Pototskaya, with whom he had a joint exhibition in Amsterdam in 1929.