Favorsky Vladimir is a graphic artist, illustrator, xylographer, theatrical designer, art historian, and teacher, academician of the USSR Academy of Arts, He had the title of People’s Artist of the USSR and was the winner of the Lenin Prize. Favorsky was born in Moscow and got his first art skills at home, with his mother O. Scherwud, an artist. In 1903-1905 he studied at a studio school of K. Yuon and I. Dudin and attended evening classes in sculpture at Stroganov Art and Industrial School. After the graduation of Fifths Moscow Gymnasium in 1905 he went to Germany. He studied drawing in Mubich at the school of Simon Hollósy. At the same time as studying drawing and painting, he attended classes in Munich at the art history department of the Faculty of Philosophy: he listened to lectures by H. Cornelius, A. Furtwängler, and C. Voll. In 1907 he returned to Moscow and entered the Faculty of History and Philology of Moscow University. In 1913 he graduated from the art history department of this faculty, which was organized on the initiative of Professor N.I. Romanov in Moscow and students B.R. Wipper, K.N. Istomin, D.S. Nedovich, and V.A. Favorsky.

In his art Favorsky is developing a conception of synthetic design of s book, which means combining narrative illustrations, font and frontispiece in a single ensemble. 

The engravings for The Lay of Igor’s Raid embody the high order of human feelings, the poetic beauty of the poem, and the author’s deep tenderness for his homeland. Thus, the general monumental character of the illustration Conversation between Igor and Donez (left side) perfectly coexists with subtly observed, almost genre motifs that enhance the authenticity of the depiction.