Show Booths 1917

Boris Kustodiev made this painting, Show Booths, and right away I notice the brushstrokes, they’re so visible and kind of dance across the canvas, suggesting movement, but also a kind of playful approach to painting. The texture of the snow-covered trees is really brought to life by the impasto and the almost naive representation of them. There's something quite folksy about the whole scene. See how the bright reds and blues of the costumes pop against the white of the snow and trees? It’s like Kustodiev is relishing in the sheer joy of color. And if you zoom in on the figures in the crowd, you'll notice how they're not really detailed, but more like suggestions of people. Each mark feels like a mini-performance in itself, a testament to the act of painting as a lively, energetic process. I’m reminded of Pieter Bruegel the Elder’s paintings of village festivals, though Kustodiev's touch feels lighter, more dreamlike. Both artists remind us of the endless possibilities that painting offers.