Preparatory drawing for the painting Christmas bargain 1918

Editor: This is Boris Kustodiev’s “Preparatory drawing for the painting Christmas bargain” from 1918, a pencil drawing on paper. It’s such a flurry of activity captured in a minimalist way. What captures your attention when you look at it? Curator: It's compelling to view this through the lens of 1918, a year marked by the end of World War I and immense social upheaval. Kustodiev, working within this context, is seemingly depicting a bustling market scene. However, I wonder if the sketch captures a sense of escapism. The drawing seems to romanticize the idea of the Russian folk. Considering Kustodiev's later work and its bold, celebratory, very colourful nature, this drawing presents itself as both an origin and an early exploration. What do you make of the figures depicted? Do they seem like specific individuals, or types? Editor: They feel more like types—the bundled-up shopper, the swift horse and rider. I’m intrigued by the starkness of the pencil against the paper, so different from what I’ve seen of Kustodiev's oil paintings. Curator: Absolutely. It’s interesting to examine how this preparatory drawing contrasts with the socio-political expectations and cultural narratives prevalent at the time. Russia was undergoing radical transformation. Does this preparatory drawing embrace that, resist it, or offer something else? I'm also drawn to consider disability studies theories when looking at Kustodiev, who painted from his bed, seeking how these restrictions impacted the paintings themselves. Editor: It does make you wonder what Kustodiev intended the finished painting to convey and how it relates to his personal circumstances, doesn’t it? I initially saw only a sketch, but now it prompts me to reflect more deeply. Curator: Exactly! Seeing art through such lenses helps us appreciate it with fresh eyes. There is something very evocative about such drawings.