07.03 1878 – 26.05.1927

Boris Kustodiev began his career as a portraitist. However, while still studying at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts, the artist chooses a genre theme for competitive work and goes in search of nature to the Kostroma gubernia. On the account of Kustodiev an impressive number of works written at the junction of the portrait and genre painting. Kustodiev creates works where the model is closely related to what surrounds it, whether it is the interior of a room or a landscape. Thus, the artist emphasizes the individuality of the person depicted, reveals his inner world. Outstanding in this direction creations are self-portrait of Kustodiev, a portrait of Shalyapin.

“… the real Kustodiev is a Russian fair, pestrel,” big-eyed “calico, a barbarian” paint fight, “a Russian posad and a Russian village, with their harmonics, gingerbread, fancy girls and dashing guys …”, wrote the artist, art historian Alexander Benois .

Indeed, the talent of Boris Kustodiev fully manifested itself in genre works, images of bright peasant and petty-bourgeois life. Kustodiyev’s works are characterized by features of modernity, there is a naive decorativeness. The works of Boris Kustodiev in such a bright, non-standard form show Russian life, reveal the Russian soul. Sometimes it seems that in the paintings of Kustodiev, a fairy tale, a dream of provincial life.

In some works of Boris Kustodiev irony shows. It is with irony that the artist depicts a merchant’s life. Let’s recall at least the picture of “Merchant for tea”.

There are also theatrical works of the artist, along which it is also possible to trace the development of the master. If at first the scenery created by Kustodiyev was bright and complex, then later they became simpler, giving more freedom for the director’s work.

A new direction in the artist’s work appeared after 1917. Boris Kustodiyev positively took the revolution, believing that it will bring change for the better. The artist created revolutionary posters, thought through the design of streets.

Back in 1909 Boris Kustodiev had a serious spinal cord disease. Despite the treatment, the disease progressed, paralysis of the legs came, but even in this condition the artist continued to work, creating juicy, memorable images.