Winter 1926

Boris Kustodiev made this woodcut print, Winter, using stark blacks and whites to pull us into a bustling snow scene. The way he’s carved these shapes, it's all about the push and pull of positive and negative space, isn't it? Look at the bottom right: that figure plunging forward. A dark, angular form that feels both stuck and like it's bursting with energy. The snow is so white, it glows. Meanwhile, that horse pulling a sleigh. You can almost hear the jingle bells and feel the crisp air! Kustodiev often explored Russian folk life and traditions, and you can feel that here. It makes me think of Paula Modersohn-Becker, her rough, earthy way of capturing ordinary life, you know? Like they're both reaching for something real, something raw. Art isn't about perfection, it's about capturing a feeling, a moment, a messy, beautiful truth.