To produce the images that convey his fatalistic and ironic approach to life, tinged with hope, he needed the environment and knowledge of Mother Russia, oiled with a bit of bribery to certain circus trainers. Enter the Great Russian Bear, the personification of Russia for the last several centuries, onto center stage and into his studio. The bear is recognized as both brutish and cute – Misha was the mascot for the 1980 Olympic Games – and has remained a symbol of Russia since Tsarist times. In 2009 it is the symbol of the United Russia Party.

In this handout provided by Maritime New Zealand, MV Rena is battered by strong seas as it is stuck on Astrolabe Reef, on November 2, 2011 in Tauranga, New Zealand. The stricken vessel encountered a three metre swell, which led authorities to fear it may finally break up. Rena struck the reef on October 5, and has spilled 350 tonnes of oil, and almost 100 shipping containers. (Photo by Graeme Brown/Maritime New Zealand via Getty Images)

Ender Moreno looks for gold at La Culebra gold mine in El Callao, Bolivar state, southeastern Venezuela on March 1, 2017. Although life in the mines of eastern Venezuela is hard and dangerous, tens of thousands from all over the country head for the mines daily in overcrowded trucks, pushed by the rise in gold prices and by the severe economic crisis affecting the country, aggravated recently by the drop in oil prices. (Photo by Juan Barreto/AFP Photo)

Live octopus is a delicacy in South Korea but is a known choking hazard, since the still-moving suction cups can cause tentacle pieces to stick in a person's throat. A baby octopus is often consumed whole, while larger varieties are cut up and the still-wriggling tentacles eaten with a splash of sesame oil. Photo: A South Korean man and a woman eat a live octopus during an event to promote a local food festival in Seoul on September 12, 2013. (Photo by Jung Yeon-Je/AFP Photo)

A reveller (R), dressed as “Diablos de Luzon” (Luzon Devils), stands next to a person dressed as a “Mascaritas” during carnival celebrations in the village of Luzon, Spain, February 6, 2016. The “Diablos” cover themselves in a mixture of soot and oil and adorn their heads with black-stained bull horns as they parade throughout the village with cowbells clanging around their waists to expel the evil spirits. (Photo by Sergio Perez/Reuters)

Korean artist Hyungkoo Lee has created a series (Homo Animatus) of works featuring skeletal representations of familiar cartoon characters. He uses resin, aluminum sticks, stainless steel wires, springs, and oil paint. If you look closely, you will see the bones of our favorite childhood friends like Canis Latrans Animatus (Wile E. Coyote), Geococcyx Animatus (Roadrunner), Lepus Animatus (Bugs Bunny), Felis Catus Animatus (Tom), Mus Animatus (Jerry), Anas Animatus (Donald Duck) and his three nephews, Animatus H, D and L ( Huey, Dewey and Louie)

A boy poses for a photo as he plays with a homemade toy gun in Qayara, south of Mosul, Iraq, Tuesday, November 22, 2016. For months, residents of the Iraqi town of Qayara have lived in the darkness from a cloud of toxic fumes released by oil fields lit by retreating Islamic State fighters. (Photo by Felipe Dana/AP Photo)

Hindu devotees light “Diyas” (earthen lamps) on a Rangoli, a framework of decorated pattern, as part of Diwali festivities in a temple premises in Dhaka, Bangladesh on November 12, 2023. The festival takes place every year in accordance with the Hindu lunar calendar. The word “Diwali” is derived from the Sanskrit word “Deepavali”, meaning series of lighted lamps; hence, it is also known as the festival of lights. Diwali is typically celebrated by socializing and exchanging gifts with family and friends. Many light oil lamps or candles to symbolize a victory of light over darkness, and fireworks are set off as part of the celebrations. (Photo by Joy Saha/Rex Features/Shutterstock)