In the box 1909

Boris Kustodiev made this painting called 'In the box' using pastels, and you can really tell it was a process. Look at how the colours are layered, those soft, hazy blues mixing with the warm ambers. The texture is so immediate, like he grabbed those pastels and just went for it. It’s like you can feel the powdery surface. That blue curtain backdrop really holds the whole painting together. It’s not just a flat colour; it's got all these different tones swirling around, making it feel like it's moving, shimmering. It’s like a portal into another world. It makes me think of Vuillard. I love how both artists create these intimate, theatrical spaces where color and light do all the talking. They show you how paintings aren't about perfection, but about the joy of looking.