The article discusses graphic cycles of Russian artists based on the works of the Belgian writer, playwright and philosopher Maurice Maeterlinck. This author’s enormous influence on the Russian culture of the Silver Age, alas, did not find an adequate and full-fledged embodiment in book graphics; however, it was reflected in several significant works of such prominent artists as S.Yu. Sudeikin, N.K. Roerich, B.I. Anisfeld, V.V. Spassky. In addition to belonging to the stylistic searches of Art Nouveau, their works on the themes of Maeterlinck’s plays are brought together by the desire for a symbolic and associative interpretation of the original source, the ability to use all the elements of the book ensemble to reveal its meaning.

The tradition of graphic interpretation of M. Maeterlinck’s stories and images was outlined in the 1910s, but then it was interrupted for several decades. Book artists began to show interest in the writer’s work again only in the 1970s. Illustrators of the late 20th — early 21st centuries focused their attention on the playwright’s most famous work in Russia — “The Blue Bird” fairy play. They tried various ways of its pictorial interpretation — from a purely realistic one (B.A. Dekhterev) to those much more stylized, openly grotesque (E.A. Silina, V.I. Tsikota), from attempts to strictly follow the spirit and letter of the original source (S.A. Kovalenkov) to free improvisations on the topic proposed by the author (G.A.V. Traugot, B.P. Sveshnikov, I.Yu. Oleinikov). The article notes the relevance of such dissimilar readings of the famous play, the value of their simultaneous presence in the book culture.