Stage design for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera the 'The Tsar's bride' 1920

Boris Kustodiev made this stage design for Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov's opera 'The Tsar's Bride' with watercolor. It's a process of layering washes of colour to create depth and atmosphere. I'm drawn to the way Kustodiev uses the watery paint, it gives the impression of looking at a dream or a memory. The colors are muted, but there's a richness to them, especially in the reds and blues. Look at the figure draped over the tiled stove on the left: see how the red of his cloak bleeds into the surrounding tones? It makes the whole scene feel alive, like it's breathing. The overall effect is one of theatricality, but also intimacy. It reminds me a little of Alexandre Benois, another Russian artist working in stage design at the time, but Kustodiev has a folk art sensibility that's all his own. In the end, art is a conversation. It's about seeing what came before and adding your own voice to the mix.