7 creative lives of the artist Ivan Bilibin, who painted really scary tales

2024 Author: Richard Flannagan | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-15 23:55

Most ordinary people, living their lives, master one profession and believe that this is enough. Creative individuals often work in several related fields. But only a few can boast that they have created something meaningful in completely different fields of activity. Ivan Bilibin, who could be called "a truly terrible artist", for 66 years, it seems, managed to live not one creative life, but as many as seven.

1. Promising lawyer

The silver medal of the First St. Petersburg Classical Gymnasium and a law degree obtained in 1900 after graduating from the law faculty of St. Petersburg University, it seems, should have predetermined the fate of the young Ivan Bilibin, according to the ardent desire of his father, on the firm ground of judicial or civil service. However, he himself decided otherwise. Simultaneously with his studies at the university, the young man begins to receive an art education, even studies for some time under the guidance of Ilya Efimovich Repin, becomes an active member of the art association "World of Art" and forgets about his legal career.

2. Illustrator

It was in this creative sphere that Ivan Bilibin first found his unique style, and it is his illustrations for Russian fairy tales that we know and love very well. It is widely known that the real Russian province became the source of inspiration for the artist. In 1899, a chance brought him to the village of Yegny, Tver province, and after this trip he creates illustrations for his first book of Russian fairy tales.

It is surprising that the unique style, which would later be called "Bilibino", was found by him almost immediately, and then only developed. Whether it was a mystical insight, inspiration from the beauty of Russian nature, or the result of many days of meticulous work, but all the works of the original artist are imbued with genuine love for Russia and a real fairy-tale spirit.

Bilibin's characters, sometimes very human, sometimes really scary, immediately fell in love with the readers. Ornament, framing of drawings, special stylized fonts - this artist does not skimp on such "little things" from which his author's style is created. The very technique of drawing, for which his colleagues called him "Ivan the Iron Hand" is also quite complicated and requires high precision. The books illustrated by him are either like painted boxes or old manuscripts.

3. Theatrical decorator

Simultaneously with the work on book illustrations, Ivan Bilibin begins to actively participate in the design of theatrical performances. He prepares sketches of scenery and theatrical costumes for the operas The Golden Cockerel, Sadko, Ruslan and Lyudmila. By the way, much later, being in exile, he would become known in Paris as a decorator of the opera Boris Godunov and Stravinsky's ballet The Firebird.

4. Commercial illustration specialist

This is a little-known page in the creative biography of the famous artist, but for some time Ivan Bilibin collaborated with the New Bavaria beer-honey brewery. In addition, he painted posters, addresses, sketches of postage stamps and postcards to order.

5. Heraldry expert

There is one work by Ivan Bilibin, which, in its prevalence and mass circulation, undoubtedly surpasses all the others, although his authorship is known only to a narrow circle of specialists. We are talking about the heraldic two-headed eagle, which we see on Russian coins every day. The artist created this coat of arms by order of the Provisional Government. Bilibin transferred the copyright to it to the Goznak factory, and since 1992 this drawing is part of the design of all banknotes of the Russian Federation.

6. Master of Church Painting

After leaving revolutionary Russia, Bilibin first lived in Cairo. It was there that he first touched church painting, participating in the design of the house church at the hospital. In Prague, the famous artist created sketches for the iconostasis and frescoes for a Russian church. Later, in Paris, he even became a founding member of the "Icon" society.

7. Teacher and true patriot

In 1936, Ivan Bilibin returned to his hometown, which is now called Leningrad. He teaches at the All-Russian Academy of Arts and continues to illustrate and design theatrical performances. It is here that the beginning of the Great Patriotic War finds him. In September 1941, the People's Commissar of Education suggested that the 66-year-old artist evacuate to the rear. In response, Bilibin writes:. And he defends his beloved city as best he can - with the help of his talent. Until the last days of his life, the artist creates patriotic postcards, writes articles and addresses to soldiers. Unable to withstand hunger, Ivan Bilibin dies in the very first blockade winter. His last refuge was the mass grave of professors of the Academy of Arts near the Smolensk cemetery.

Russian fairy tales have always been a source of inspiration for many artists. Read on why contemporaries called Vasnetsov's paintings "popular prints" and about the development of the famous master's creative career.