New York based artist Fyodor Pavlov has born in Moscow and his illustrations are majorly late XIX to early XX century inspired. We had the pleasure to know his work a little bit more deeply in a short interview.

 

When you started drawing professionally?
“Professionally” is kind of a nebulous term in the generally nebulous career of art. I started selling my work when I was still in college, around 2005-2006, mostly online. I still have some loyal clients since those days, but over the years I’ve branched out and grown, illustrating for private clients, New York’s and Europe’s burlesque community and nightlife events, magazines and even novels. Like many working artists, I still have a day job, but I’m currently in the process of setting myself to jump into full-time freelancing. It’s terrifying, but exciting.

Your inspirations are kinda clear for me, but can you tell us a little bit more about it?

History, sex and death, and how the three intertwine – if I had to sum it up neatly. The work of my favorite writers and artists usually revolves around those themes – which, albeit, are universal. I especially love the Victorian and Edwardian eras, and the 1920s. Basically, 1890 – 1929 are my bread in butter, it was an incredible time in human history that packed several centuries worth of social, cultural and sexual change in a few short decades. Aubrey Beardsley, John Singer Sargent, James Tissot, Giovanni Boldini, Félicien Rops, Otto Dix, Felix d’Eon, Alphonse Mucha, J. C. Leyendecker, Franz von Bayros, Leon Bakst, Ivan Bilibin and my husband Lawrence Gullo are all artists who are a constant source of inspiration to me.

Do you have any major project right now?

Yes, I am actually just about to wrap up illustrating the second novel of G. D. Falksen’s Ouroboros Cycle trilogy, which I work on together with my husband, Lawrence Gullo. The first volume came out last January, fully illustrated by the two of us. My other big project is, as I said, to go into illustration full time, and in the coming year, I would really love to realize one of my dreams and print an erotic art book with my partner.