River flooding 1922

Boris Kustodiev made this watercolour painting, River Flooding, sometime between the late 19th and early 20th century, and there’s a real sense of freedom in the way he handled the paint. Look at how the washes of blues and greens blend into each other. He embraces the fluidity of the medium, allowing the colours to mingle and create soft, luminous effects. There’s a looseness to the brushwork, and it’s especially noticeable in the way he renders the clouds. The painting really captures the way light reflects and refracts in water, the way it dances on the surface. The horse on the right is just perfect. See the casualness of the form, the way it blends into the green. It speaks to the harmony between nature and the everyday life, a sense of belonging, that reminds me of some of Pierre Bonnard's more intimate paintings. Kustodiev doesn’t try to nail things down too tightly. He leaves room for interpretation, for a sense of openness, and reminds us that painting is a process of discovery, where meaning emerges through the act of making.