Winter 1919

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing of a wintery scene using black chalk on paper. I imagine the artist capturing this winter landscape, the cold seeping into their fingers as they work quickly, trying to seize the moment, shifting and emerging through the drawing. I really feel for the artist here, trying to capture the essence of the season. I wonder if they were thinking about the fleeting nature of time when they made it? There's a beautiful contrast here between the bare trees and the soft snow-laden branches. This gesture gives a sense of depth and texture to the landscape. It reminds me a bit of some other landscape artists, like Isaac Levitan, who were also trying to capture something essential about the Russian landscape and Russian life. The act of drawing is an ongoing conversation and exchange of ideas across time, inspiring one another’s creativity. It embraces ambiguity and uncertainty, allowing for multiple interpretations and meanings over fixed or definitive readings.