Shrovetide 1920

Boris Kustodiev painted this winter scene of Shrovetide probably with oils on canvas, but who knows? It feels light, quick, not labored. Look how he's used thin washes of blues and pinks to render the snow. I love how the horses, all energy and muscle, pull the sleighs. Notice the details - the crisp lines of the sleigh runners cutting through the snow, the way the colors reflect and bounce off each other. I mean, there’s so much to unpack here! The bright reds and greens of the figures' clothing pop against the muted landscape. The painting is alive with movement and joy. There's this sense of festivity and communal celebration. Kustodiev's work has a wonderful raw energy reminiscent of folk art. There’s something very honest in how he sees and shares the world. For me, this feels like a conversation with artists like Pieter Bruegel, who also captured the lives of everyday people. Art is always a dialogue, right? It's about seeing, feeling, and then sharing that vision with the world, without trying to nail things down too much.