Portrait of I.B. Kustodieva, daughter of the artist

This is Boris Kustodiev’s portrait of his daughter, I.B. Kustodieva, painted in 1926. As the daughter of a well known artist, I.B. Kustodieva would have been intimately familiar with the cultural and artistic circles of her time. During the 1920s in Russia, the New Economic Policy allowed for a limited return to market economics, influencing the changing social roles of women and sparking new conversations around fashion, identity, and representation. Here, Kustodieva's daughter is depicted wearing a stylish cloche hat and an off-the-shoulder dress. While the hat gives the portrait a sense of modernity, the style of the dress recalls classical robes. The work captures a moment of transition, reflecting the complex interplay between tradition and modernity that defined women’s experiences. This portrait offers a glimpse into the negotiations of identity and self-expression amid shifting cultural landscapes, and prompts us to consider the personal and political dimensions of representation during this period.