Patcher breaks sign (Barin at the house of patcher) 1922

This drawing, "Patcher breaks sign (Barin at the house of patcher)" by Boris Kustodiev, looks like it’s made with ink, perhaps a pen, quickly capturing a fleeting moment. Imagine Kustodiev standing there in the snow, quickly making the marks with the tip of the pen to record what he is seeing. I love the gestural lines that suggest form and movement. The artist uses hatching to create the shading and volume that you see on the figure. I can almost feel the cold air and the quiet of the winter landscape. The scene is quiet but there is a tension in the figure reaching to the sign above the door. What's happening? This image reminds me of the work of other artists who use drawing to capture everyday life, like Daumier, but Kustodiev’s style is uniquely his own. His drawing has a kind of rough simplicity which captures the mood of the scene. I find myself drawn into the ongoing visual conversation between artists, each building on the ideas and techniques of those who came before. It’s a game of telephone, where the message evolves and transforms with each new voice.