Winter. Shrovetide festivities 1919

Boris Kustodiev captured these Shrovetide festivities, probably in oil on canvas, with all the impasto and texture of a snowy winter scene. I imagine him, brush in hand, layering whites and blues, not just depicting snow but really building it on the canvas. What was he thinking as he conjured this scene? Was he remembering his own experiences of winter festivals? Did he feel the cold as he painted? Look at how the thick paint makes the snow feel so real, so heavy on the rooftops. And then there are those pops of red, the church, the theater sign, pulling you deeper into the painting, almost like a stage set. Each brushstroke seems to dance with life, echoing the lively hustle and bustle of the scene. It reminds me a little of Pieter Bruegel and his crowd scenes. Ultimately, artists are always in dialogue, remixing and reinventing ways of seeing. Kustodiev's painting offers us a glimpse into a moment, a feeling, a memory, that lingers with us long after we've moved on.