Poster of the Leningrad Society bows town and country 1925

Boris Kustodiev made this poster, "Leningrad Society bows town and country", to show the connection between city and country. You can see it in the brushwork and the way he's laid down the colours – everything feels immediate and kind of raw. I like how the figures almost seem to be emerging from the snowy ground, painted with a casual directness, creating a sense of unity. The colours are muted, which gives the poster a serious, down-to-earth feel. The man on the left, with his fur hat, is offering a newspaper to the younger man who is coming from the city with books. There's something touching about it, like they're building a bridge of knowledge and exchange. The image is also beautifully stylized, which gives it an iconic quality. It reminds me a little of the early Soviet avant-garde artists, who were also trying to find new ways to connect art and life. Ultimately, though, it’s a reminder that art is a conversation, constantly evolving and drawing on the past to create something new.