Children in the costumes 1909

Boris Kustodiev captured these children in costume with oils, but the date of creation remains a mystery. There’s something joyous and performative about this painting. I can imagine Kustodiev watching these kids get dressed up in their costumes, maybe for a play, a party, or just for fun. It’s loose and free. The brushstrokes are visible, especially in the drapery behind them. It's less about precise details and more about capturing a feeling, that of a play, a masquerade. The colours! That bright orange of the girl’s skirt is so bold against the blues and whites of their costumes. It’s like a stage set. I bet the paintings of the French Rococo painters like Fragonard were on his mind; I think of him often. Ultimately, painting is a constant conversation. We’re all just riffing off each other, across time and space. Painting embraces uncertainty, and welcomes multiple interpretations.