Portrait of M.V. Dobuzhinsky at the table 1913

Boris Kustodiev made this portrait of M.V. Dobuzhinsky at the table with oil paint, though when is a bit of a mystery. Look at how the room almost vibrates with a bright, aquamarine energy. It’s like Kustodiev is setting the stage for something dramatic. The paint is applied so directly, you can almost feel the bristles of the brush dancing across the canvas. I love how he doesn't try to hide the process. The brushstrokes around the mirrors and the little figurines on the wall are so alive, they could almost be characters in a play. The surface is tactile, alive. It’s not about perfection; it’s about feeling. Notice the way he renders the food on the table – it’s almost abstract, a playful collection of shapes and colours rather than a realistic still life. It’s like he’s saying, "Let’s not take ourselves too seriously." Kustodiev's work has a kinship with the raw expressiveness of someone like Paula Modersohn-Becker, they both seem to share an interest in emotional expression, prioritising the visceral quality of paint over the illusion of reality. Ultimately, this painting reminds me that art is a conversation, an ongoing experiment, and not some rigid, fixed thing.