Spring 1921

Boris Kustodiev, sometime in the early 20th century, painted this world in full thaw with oils on canvas. There’s such an intense feeling of renewal here! It’s palpable in the reflections on the water, the washed-out light of the sky. I bet Kustodiev felt it too, breathing in the fresh, wet air and translating it into these soft, joyful brushstrokes. Look at the almost cartoon-like quality of the figures as they venture across the makeshift bridge of planks, the greens and pinks of the buildings beyond. It’s like he’s telling us, “Hey, winter's over, let’s have some fun!” I’m reminded of other painters like Pierre Bonnard who captured similar scenes of domestic life with such tenderness and warmth. It's the same kind of feeling, that kind of intimate, lived-in energy that painters just love to capture. Painting is an exchange of ideas, after all, an ongoing conversation between artists across time, inspiring each other to see and feel and express. Kustodiev's painting is like a big, wet, sloppy kiss goodbye to the cold, dark months.