Portrait of Rene Ivanovna Notgaft 1914

Boris Kustodiev painted this portrait of Rene Ivanovna Notgaft in oil on canvas, though the exact date is unknown. Notgaft, adorned in a dark dress and ring, is set against an intentionally decorative backdrop of flowers. Kustodiev painted portraits, genre scenes, and historical subjects in Russia at a time of immense social upheaval. Born in the Volga region, Kustodiev was exposed to the merchant class, whose traditions and values feature in his later work. The turn of the century in Russia was a period of intense political activism with the rise of revolutionary parties. Kustodiev himself expressed sympathy for these movements, designing posters and illustrations for revolutionary groups. He joined a group of artists called Mir Iskusstva, who questioned academic artistic norms. Though this portrait may seem apolitical, understanding Kustodiev’s biography helps us to contextualize the artist’s entire body of work. We can use historical sources such as letters, exhibition reviews, and political pamphlets to further examine Kustodiev’s place within the artistic and political institutions of his time.