Rhipolsky Alexey Dmitrievich
The artist Alexey Reipolsky is a living classic. Most of us know him from his gentle and at the same time bright watercolors for the fairy tales of Perrault and Andersen. But he is not only an illustrator - his paintings and icons are kept in the best museums of Russia (including the Hermitage). Fortunately, he continues to create, and the books with his works are published truly magnificent. Even reprints of Soviet books in thin covers with Reipolsky's drawings are always small masterpieces, and the collection "Golden Tales" published by "Makhaon" is a real luxury.
The artist says that he likes to work slowly. He works on illustrations for one book for years. For example, illustrations for Pushkin's fairy tales (this book: https://karuselbooks.com/products/aleksandr-pushkin-golden-fairy-tales ) he drew for eight years! Of course, it was worth it: you can't take your eyes off this book, like the Swan Princess on the cover. Both the landscapes and the interiors of palaces and huts, and the people, and the costumes are depicted equally skillfully: harmoniously in color and composition, with great attention to detail, and they exactly correspond to the text both in spirit and literally.
"A good illustration is understandable without text," the artist believes. And indeed, look! The Tsar, like a child, rejoices at the overseas curiosity - the golden Cockerel; Uncle Chernomor strictly but fairly rules over the army of 33 heroes; and the priest's daughter, quite obviously, is only sad about Balda... Even without knowing the fairy tale, it is clear what is happening in the picture.
Reipolsky is equally convincing in conveying the atmosphere of a medieval castle in classic European fairy tales; and the lush, colorful East in the tales of a thousand and one nights; and the severe grandeur of the Caucasus, which Lermontov painted. Any of his paintings is a precious, jewel-like work, yet understandable to both adults and children.
