Painter of signboards 1920

Boris Kustodiev made this painting, "Painter of Signboards", with what looks like watercolor, and what grabs me first is how immediate and provisional the marks are. It's so process-oriented! The paint is thin and washy, almost like he's sketching with color. There's a real physicality to it, especially in the way he layers the different hues to build up form and volume. If you look at the brushstrokes that define the meat, you can see how he uses short, staccato marks to create a sense of texture and detail, while also keeping the overall effect loose and expressive. It's like Kustodiev is reminding us that art is an ongoing conversation. He's in dialogue with traditions of folk art and commercial design, and maybe artists like Fernand Leger, who were also interested in the beauty of everyday life. It's not about having all the answers, but about embracing ambiguity and the endless possibilities of interpretation.