Women 1902

Boris Kustodiev’s oil painting, titled ‘Women,’ bursts with warmth from its reds and yellows despite the snow-white ground. I can imagine Kustodiev laying down these colors in strokes, one after another, in a dance between the brush and canvas, in a back-and-forth of trial and error. I wonder what it was like for him to create this piece. Perhaps Kustodiev noticed the figures trudging through the snow and wanted to capture their spirit. The paint here isn't trying to trick us into thinking it’s real—it’s more about the feeling, the weight of their coats, and the colors of their scarves against the snow. Look at that bold stroke of red—it communicates a feeling of warmth, like a cozy blanket on a cold day. Kustodiev, like many painters, was in conversation with others who have painted the land and its people. It reminds me of folk art. The artist captures something essential about the human experience. In embracing ambiguity, we can experience a multitude of emotions, and create our own interpretations.