XII FABLES cover illustration

A monochrome digital illustration for the newly released ‘XII Century Fables by Mkhitar Gosh, translated into rhythmic poem form by Ruben Markaryan. The illustration depicts the mysterious monk and philosopher himself, sat on the same throne as he is depicted on in a statue at the Goshavank monastery. The monk’s true appearance is somewhat debatable, so I went with the clean-shaven depiction based on said statue. True to form, he surrounds himself with critters - the characters of many of his fables. To avoid overcrowding the image, only smaller animals were used - cat, hedgehog, and songbirds. Birds, in particular, are a popular figure in Gosh’s works.

(c) Aleksandra Markaryan / saltheria, all rights reserved. Work licensed by the publishing house & author.
Not to be used to train AI.