Marie Elisabeth Veronika Chambers-Bilibina

Maria Chambers-Bilibin (; 1874—1962), also known in English as Mary Elisabeth Veronica Chambers-Bilibin ( Chambers), was a Russian and English graphic artist and children's book illustrator.

Biography

Maria Chambers was born to James Stephen Chambers and Elizaveta Mary Page at St Petersburg, Russia on 1 March 1874.

Career in St Petersburg

In the 1890s, Chambers studied under Ilya Repin at the Imperial Society for the Encouragement of the Arts at Princess Maria Tenisheva's School.

On 28 April 1902, Chambers married her former teacher and fellow pupil at the Tenisheva studio, artist Ivan Bilibin. They had two sons; Alexander (1903–1972; artist) and Ivan (1908–1993; journalist). The spouses separated in 1911.

In the 1900s and early 1910s, Chambers-Bilibin illustrated books for St Petersburg publishing houses, designed postcards and bookplates. The Union of Russian Artists exhibition in St Petersburg in February-March 1910, was viewed by over 16,000 people. Dobuzhinsky agreed and described her as “a very sweet artist and a very sweet person”. (была действительно очень милой художницей и милым человеком.) However, they were divorced by 1923.

In 1931 she participated in an art exhibition of the Russian Group in Prince Vladimir Galitzine's Gallery.

Chambers-Bilibin died on 6 June 1962 in Oxford, England.