Winter 1926

Boris Kustodiev made this black and white print of a Russian winter scene, but we don't know exactly when. I love how the wintry scene unfolds through the marks the artist made, like a memory emerging. Look at those dense darks and stark whites – the artist must have worked so meticulously. I can almost feel him carving into the block, deciding what to leave, what to take away. I wonder what it was like for Kustodiev, making this piece? Was he thinking of old Russian folktales? Was he longing for a simpler time? Those graphic details like the snowy roofs, the distant church, and the horse-drawn sled… He really evokes that feeling of being in a cold climate, the crisp air, the quietness of the snow. It reminds me of Russian folk art or the work of Paula Modersohn-Becker. You know, that same earthy quality, and connection to place. It feels like he’s in conversation with all of them. It makes you think, doesn’t it, about how we’re all connected, sharing ideas and stories across time.