Moscow Tavern 1916

Boris Kustodiev made this painting, Moscow Tavern, with oils on canvas and it lives in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow. There is something about the red here that vibrates, the whole scene seems to hum with colour and activity. It’s such a theatrical space. The red almost feels like the canvas itself, peaking through like a ground layer in places. Look how Kustodiev layers the paint, its thick and glossy, giving the scene a tangible, almost edible quality. The colour palette is bold and saturated, but the application of the paint is loose and gestural. The composition is crowded but strangely balanced, with a lot of lovely teapots. It’s full of all sorts of juicy details. I’m reminded of some of the early Fauvist painters like Matisse, with their bold use of colour and simplified forms. But Kustodiev brings his own particular sensibility to the mix, creating a world that feels both familiar and strange. And I find myself wondering, what's in those teapots?