Our Notes & References
Beautiful version of this classic Russian tale about a maid warrior, published a year after Bilibin’s own, and much rarer.
This 1904 edition is the first interpretation of the story made by Zvorykin: once emigrated in Paris, he published other illustrations after having translated the tale into French.
In addition to his illustrations for children, Zvorykin also completed commissions for the Russian Imperial court, collaborating with some of the most prominent publishers of the time, such as Sytin, Mamontov, Knebel, Levenson and Marks.
His rich, colourful style combines Russian folklore motifs with Art Nouveau aesthetic, making his work an interesting variation of Art Nouveau in Russia.
Rare: WorldCat locates only four copies (all in the US: Harvard, Princeton, Amherst and Miami).
Bibliography
Severiukhin D., Laikind O. Khudozhniki russkoi emigratsii, St. Petersburg, 1994; The Fire-Bird and other Russian Fairy Tales / Illustrated by Boris Zvorykin; Ed. аnd introd. by Jacqueline Onassis. N.Y., 1978.
Item number
2970







