Agitator (Man with arm raised) 1906

Editor: So, here we have Boris Kustodiev's 1906 charcoal drawing, "Agitator (Man with arm raised)." The composition strikes me as… theatrical, almost. The way the figure's posed, it's like he's caught mid-speech. What do you see in this piece? Curator: It's interesting you say 'theatrical.' Kustodiev *loved* theatre; he designed sets, and that passion really bleeds into his art. But to me, this isn't just theatre – it's Russia at the turn of the century, simmering with revolutionary fervor. His raised arm, the impassioned gaze... I imagine him calling for change, for justice. What do you make of his other hand? It seems he's asking for something too. Editor: Good question, perhaps his empty hand reaching downwards is calling out for assistance from a particular group? How might this piece connect with the Russian Avant-Garde movement, and its mission to usher a new era into art? Curator: Absolutely. The Avant-Garde was all about disrupting the old, finding new ways to express the spirit of the age, and in pre-revolution Russia that meant social change. Kustodiev uses the portrait, normally a symbol of wealth and status, to elevate a common man—an “agitator”—making *him* the hero, the subject worthy of attention. This isn’t your grandma’s portrait. See how sketchy the execution is? No detail except for the face! It looks more immediate, more urgent than polished formal portraits. He may have done so on purpose to convey the spirit of this man, his unbending and radical opinions, captured in charcoal, rapidly for the eye. It would seem that he certainly ushered this revolutionary moment of new Russia through avant-garde. What do you think? Editor: It really drives home the intensity of the historical period! It sounds like charcoal lends itself particularly well to Avant-Garde values through capturing moments that are spontaneous. It gives us insight into social realities. Curator: Precisely! The spontaneity allows a great message through such a serious topic.