Village Holiday (Autumn holiday in the village) 1914

Boris Kustodiev made this painting of a Village Holiday, we don't know exactly when, using oils. Look at the colours, those autumnal oranges and reds, and how they pop against the greens and blues. It's all about the joy of making, of putting colours next to each other and seeing what happens. The paint is applied with a real physicality, you can almost feel the brushstrokes, thick in some places, thin in others. The texture gives the whole scene a kind of vibrant energy. Check out the tree to the left, see how Kustodiev has built up the leaves with these small, almost staccato dabs of paint? Each dab is a decision, a mark of presence, and together they create this shimmering, breathing mass of colour. It’s like he's inviting us to feel the crispness of the autumn air, the warmth of the sun, the sheer exuberance of the celebration. This painting reminds me a little of Chagall, that same love of folk life and bold, dreamlike colours. But where Chagall is all about floating figures and surreal landscapes, Kustodiev is more grounded, more connected to the earth. Both artists, though, show us that art is a conversation, a way of seeing and feeling that keeps evolving.