Sketch of decorations for puppet show "The Rooster - Gold Scallop" 1927

Curator: This work, dating back to 1927, is titled "Sketch of Decorations for Puppet Show 'The Rooster - Gold Scallop'." It's a lovely piece attributed to Boris Kustodiev, utilizing watercolor and tempera, and intended, it seems, for a stage backdrop. Editor: My first impression? Utter enchantment! It's like gazing into a whimsical fairytale. The colours seem so vibrant and the scene's spatial arrangement is oddly…stage-like! It’s playful but the overall mood feels strangely…contemplative, too. Curator: That "stage-like" quality is literal, of course. Kustodiev designed stage sets and theatrical costumes. There is a tradition of using very simplified scenography like this as an indication of folklore, as opposed to historical or modern content in the plays. Editor: It's fascinating how the simple shapes – those almost childlike renderings of the trees and hills – create such a convincing sense of depth and atmosphere. Is the grotto a symbolic image? Curator: Grotto, definitely. A dark entrance – perhaps it hints at a symbolic doorway to another realm or, a deeper self within. The cave represents a transformative space, especially for the characters involved. There’s a lot of history within Russian theatre using caves as archetypal and narrative symbolism. I appreciate that there's the contrast between the lively forest and that cave with a prison gate on the background. The juxtaposition could invite contemplation of confinement versus liberation. Editor: Indeed. There’s that balance too with folk art. Something profound masked in simple forms. And this specific intersection of folk tradition with the Russian Avant-Garde... it’s really powerful! I love how this sketch manages to compress so many cultural layers in a space so deceptively simple. Curator: For me, seeing pieces like these allows me to see just how interwoven various creative disciplines were in that period, the theater bled into the art and art into political design. This work helps me see it a bit more clearly!