View in Tula, a sketch for E. Zamyatin's play, 'The Flea' 1924

This set design, View in Tula, was sketched by Boris Kustodiev for E. Zamyatin’s play, ‘The Flea’. You can see how the design is laid out with layers of colour, with this dark speckled blue ground right at the back. It looks like a pretty standard theatrical backdrop, but then he brings it forward with these bold shapes and motifs. I love the way the paint is applied thickly but not in a way that feels overworked. Like look at the smoke rising from the samovar, you can really see the movement, the direction of the brush. And the colours! It’s a scene of Russian winter, but it’s so warm and inviting, like a folk dream. I’m drawn to the little man sat on a bench; he looks like he’s waiting for something – perhaps a hot cup of tea! The whole image has this joyful energy, kind of like a Matisse, with an anarchic, carnivalesque spirit. It really makes you question the boundaries between fine art and design.