One of the most famous Russian artists Boris Kustodiev (1878-1927) repeatedly addressed the theme of festivities in the Russian provinces. He was attracted by the breadth of the soul of the Russian people, reckless recklessness, a dizzying whirlwind of dancing and fistfights, riding on triples and a mountain of refreshments on tables set right there among snowdrifts. The artist wanted to display on the canvas the whole flavor of the festival, forever capture a bright event from the life of the Russian people.
Start
Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” is one of his works dedicated to the most fun holiday that falls on the last week before the beginning of Lent. Pancake week, rampant fun became the plot for the painting, written in 1916. During the period of work on Shrovetide, the artist himself was not in a festive mood; the illness received on the fronts of the First World War made itself felt.
What did the artist portray?
Description of Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” can be started by the fact that in the upper part of the canvas you can see how the winter recedes: in the sky there are clouds painted in pastel cream color, which happens at the very beginning of spring. Above - a flock of rooks, the birds flew in and are waiting for spring heat. In the center of the picture are painted sledges drawn by a pair of horses. A charioteer in festive clothes and a raspberry-topped cap pulls the reins, a young couple sits decently behind him. In the sled, he tries to sit on the go the junker with his girlfriend, they are on the left. Another sleigh rush towards, at a distance two teams also try to get ahead of each other. On the left side of the picture are two carts flying up the hill. They try to overtake the team, which is located in the center of the picture.
A little at a distance the kids sledding from a steep hill, enjoying the last snow days. Over the mountain spread a booth, around which the people gathered in anticipation of the performance. The houses are snowy, the churches with belfries are in a solid white veil.
Scarecrow burning
Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” breathes the holiday atmosphere. Below is a fair, we seem to hear a cheerful rumble: there is a trade. Walking in full swing, however, if you look closely, the picture shows the elusive signs of the evening. Soon the birds will disappear, the sled will be scattered, people will go home. The next day, the holiday will return to the city, then again. And so all week until the time comes for the main ritual - the burning of the effigy of Winter. Description of Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” can be completed by bowing in honor of a talented artist who was able to masterfully convey the essence of one of the most grandiose Russian holidays. The canvas is in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.
Kustodiev, "Pancake week" (1919): description of the painting
Three years later, Kustodiev again returns to the theme of Shrovetide. This time the action takes place on the square of a small provincial town. In the rays of the winter sun, leaning toward sunset, the holiday is in full swing. Three horses are carried, harnessed to a small cart on skids. The staid root stallion tries to restrain frisky sling - but where there! Young horses carry light sledges, and the coachman pushes them with a whip. There are three in a sleigh: a lady in a white fox fur coat, next to her is a friend in a fox fur coat and in front of them a boyfriend, who apparently organized a fun trip.
Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” conveys the spirit of merchant provincialism. On the side of the roadway, two came together, they have common interests. The wives are a little off, talking about their own. On the other side of the road there are rides, a carousel and other entertainments. There is a circus tent. Pierrot and Harlequin on the balcony invites the public. The circus is depicted under the guise of "Theater". People crowd at the entrance, those who have already attended the show are in no hurry to leave, the rest are waiting in line.
A lot of noise was made by the canvas created by Kustodiev - "Pancake week" (1919). The description of the picture by critics was ambiguous. The appearance of a masterpiece of artists from Moscow and St. Petersburg was especially shocked. But each of them admitted that he would like to be in the place of Boris Kustodiev. Universal recognition has provided invaluable moral support to a sick artist who has been confined to a wheelchair in recent years. And Boris Kustodiev began work on the third canvas dedicated to the Russian holiday.
Three Bulan
Kustodiev’s painting "Shrovetide", written in 1920, became the third and final work of the artist on the theme of Russian festivities. Multi-figure compositions are located in the center and around the edges of the picture. The artist gave the foreground to children riding downhill. The canvas gives a little folk folk art, but it does not spoil it. And again, in the center of the picture sleds pulled by a trio of mule horses. Both the root man and the close ones are ready to rush at full speed, but the coachman does not: people are walking around. A slender merchant is sitting in a sleigh, next to a puny merchant. For them, Shrovetide has just begun, all day - riding in a troika, then on a merry-go-round, after attractions - a performance in the theater, and in the evening - to a table with pancakes and red caviar. All this is thought out when looking at Kustodiev’s masterpiece, the third on the theme of Shrovetide.
"Autumn"
The artist’s health was getting worse. He, as he could, resisted the disease, but the disease was stronger. At the end of his life, Boris Kustodiev was forced to paint while lying in bed. He ended the famous “Russian Venus” with great difficulty, having worked for several minutes, rested for two or three hours. The artist’s perseverance was rewarded, the picture was recognized as a world-class masterpiece. The canvas under the name "Autumn" Kustodiev put off many times, but, feeling a quick death, he nevertheless tried to finish the work.
Hues and Halftones
The first reproduction of Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” was made in 1928, after the artist’s death. The master used the engraving machine technique using the multi-color copy method. The result was far from the original, since the engraving conveys only the primary colors, and cannot display halftones. Kustodiev’s paintings are rich in shades. "Shrovetide" - a picture of the artist Kustodiev - fascinates with a subtle play of bluish-gray halftones. Snowdrifts and hats on tree branches in anticipation of the onset of spring, a snowy plain serve as a backdrop for the plot filling of the picture.
Kustodiev and Surikov
Another Russian artist who masterfully mastered the technique of depicting snow cover is Vasily Surikov. His unique works - “Boyar Morozova”, “Suvorov Crossing the Alps”, “Taking the Snow Town” - would be impossible without a snowy background. But nevertheless, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev is considered the most skillful master of depicting white cover. The painting "Shrovetide" in three versions is a confirmation of this.