The artwork in question is an illustration for the poem “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” by Alexander Pushkin, created by the artist Ivan Bilibin. It is executed using the medium of lithography and is associated with the Art Nouveau movement, specifically the Modern style. This piece is categorized as an illustration and is part of “The Tale of the Golden Cockerel” series. It currently resides in a private collection.
This particular artwork by Ivan Bilibin displays a rich and vivid scene seemingly set in a Russian village. The composition includes an elderly figure, dressed in traditional garb, with a white beard and a towering, ornate headdress, who dominates the foreground. The figure is seen from the back, suggesting that they may be observing or about to engage with the scene in front of them.
In the middle ground, a regal golden cockerel stands prominently on a wooden fence, fittingly resonant with the title of the poem. Behind this central character, a cottage with elaborate wooden decorations and a tiled roof conveys a sense of rustic charm. The architecture and costume design reflect Russian cultural elements and provide a sense of place.
The background features a fenced garden leading to a cluster of buildings, perhaps part of a broader village or a noble’s estate, with a white tower distinctly rising above the treeline. The garden is dotted with large, blooming sunflowers, and a pig occupies the space near the dwelling, adding a touch of bucolic life to the scene.
Rendered in a limited but harmonious color palette, the illustration is lined with a text in Cyrillic script at the bottom, likely excerpted from Pushkin’s poem. The text and decorative motifs along the borders are reminiscent of traditional folk art and manuscript illumination. This holistic approach to combining text and imagery is characteristic of Bilibin’s work and contributes to the understanding of the narrative context in which this illustration was created.
