Winter 1919

Boris Kustodiev made this drawing, Winter, on paper, with what looks like charcoal. The lines are feathery and loose, like the artist was thinking about the feel of winter air as much as the shapes of the trees. Look at the way the marks build up to create the impression of snow-laden branches. Each stroke seems to capture a fleeting moment, a breath of cold air, or the soft hush of snowfall. Kustodiev doesn't get bogged down in detail; instead, he evokes the scene with a kind of shorthand, suggesting more than he explicitly defines. The warmth of the paper peeks through the dark lines, creating a sense of depth and atmosphere. It makes me think of other Russian artists like Isaac Levitan, who were also interested in capturing the mood and essence of the landscape. Both artists remind us that art isn't just about representation; it's about feeling, about the way we experience the world through our senses.