Merchant's wife on the balcony 1920

Boris Kustodiev painted this scene, 'Merchant's wife on the balcony', with oils on canvas. It's a feast for the eyes, a burst of color and shape that feels both planned and spontaneous. I can imagine Kustodiev, brush in hand, layering those reds and greens, building up the textures, maybe even scraping some paint away to reveal what’s underneath. Look at how he’s rendered her dress in these thick, juicy strokes. I bet it was fun to do! Painting is a kind of alchemy: Kustodiev has turned this woman into something monumental, like a mountain. It's about the joy of seeing, of being present in the world. This work makes me think about Matisse, who also knew how to extract joy from everyday life. Painters are always talking to each other across time, and their paintings become part of this never-ending conversation. Each painting is an inquiry into what it means to be alive.