Haymaking 1917

Boris Kustodiev created this bright, bustling rural scene, Haymaking, using oils on canvas. He wasn’t trying to capture things exactly as they were, but more to show you a feeling, a memory, a sense of place. Look at the way he layers the colors, almost like tiles. The green isn't just green; it's a wild mix of yellows, blues, and even some sneaky reds. It's like he's saying, "Hey, life isn't just one thing. It's a bunch of stuff all mixed together!" The figures are rendered with a similar sense of dynamism, and if you look at the detail on the women’s dresses, you can see how they are both flat planes of color and have gestural marks to imply the details of each element. Kustodiev was working in a time when artists like Matisse were throwing out the rule book, and while he might not be as famous, you can see that same spirit here. It reminds me of folk art too, that same love of color, and storytelling. He’s like a bridge, connecting different worlds. And maybe that’s what art is all about, finding those connections, even where you least expect them.