Arable 1917

Boris Kustodiev made this painting, Arable, with what looks like oil on canvas, and you can see how he’s really into the process. The painting is all about texture, right? Thick strokes that catch the light. It’s not trying to hide itself. Look at the road in the foreground—see how the strokes of pink, blue, and purple aren't blended? You can see the artist’s hand, almost like each dab of paint is a thought. And the way the trees on the right are just these strong, vertical marks—they’re not trying to be photo-realistic. Kustodiev reminds me of other artists who embraced that directness, like maybe Van Gogh, where it's not just about what you’re seeing, but how you're seeing it, and the whole messy, beautiful process of trying to capture it. Isn't art great? It can be so many things at once.