"Hear the raven in the morn
In the oak tree play his horn"
It takes a special talent to make this verbal image visible and as convincing as a folk tale.
Vasnetsov takes us outside the reality box so easily and effortlessly that we actually miss that last step we take before finding ourselves in the fabulous realm.
In my opinion, the source of what makes Vasnetsov’s fanciful imagery so convincing lies in the fact that the artist’s imagination does not act wantonly, but follows the laws of the same fabulous logic that underpins folk tales. The same shift of perception, the same interlacing of reality and fantasy are to be found in his works. (E. Kovtun, Art critic).