(1878-1927) repeatedly addressed the theme of festive 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 fisticuffs, riding in troikas and a mountain of treats on tables placed right there, among the snowdrifts. The artist wanted to display on the canvas the whole color of the festival, to forever capture a bright event in the life of the Russian people.
Start
"Shrovetide" is one of his works dedicated to the most fun holiday that falls on last week before the start of Lent. Shrovetide week, unrestrained fun became the plot for the picture, written in 1916. The artist himself during the period of work on "Maslenitsa" was not in a festive mood, the illness received on the fronts of the First World War made itself felt.
What did the artist depict?
The description of Kustodiev’s painting “Shrovetide” can be started with the fact that in the upper part of the canvas you can see how winter is receding: there are clouds in the sky, painted in a pastel cream color, which happens at the very beginning of spring. Above is a flock of rooks, the birds have arrived and are waiting for the spring warmth. In the center of the picture is a painted sleigh drawn by a pair of horses. A driver in festive clothes and a hat with a crimson top pulls on the reins, behind him a young couple sits decorously. The junker and his girlfriend strive to sit in the sleigh on the move, they are on the left. Another sleigh rushes towards, at a distance two teams also try to get ahead of each other. On the left side of the picture, two wagons are seen flying up the hill. They are trying to overtake the team, which is in the center of the picture.
A little further away, the kids are sleighing down a steep hill, enjoying the last snowy days. Behind the mountain there was a booth, around which the people gathered in anticipation of the performance. Houses are covered with snow, churches with bell towers - in a solid white veil.
Burning an effigy
Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa" breathes with the atmosphere of the holiday. Below is a fair, we seem to hear a cheerful hubbub: there is a trade. The festivities are in full swing, however, if you look closely, the picture shows subtle signs of the onset of evening. Soon the birds will disappear, the sleighs will disperse, people will go home. The next day, the holiday will return to the city again, then again. And so the whole week, until the time comes for the main ritual - the burning of the effigy of Winter. Description of the painting by Kustodiev "Shrovetide" can be completed with a bow in honor of talented artist who managed to masterfully convey the whole 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 returns to the topic again Shrovetide festivities. This time the action takes place on the square of a small provincial town. In the rays of the winter sun, declining to sunset, the holiday is in full swing. A trio of horses, harnessed to a small cart on skids, rush by. The sedate native stallion tries to restrain the frisky harness - but where is it! Young horses carry light sledges, and the coachman urges them on with a whip. There are three people in the sleigh: a lady in a white fox fur coat, next to her is a friend in a fox fur coat, and opposite them is a boyfriend who, apparently, organized a fun trip.
Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa" conveys the spirit of merchant provinciality. Away from the roadway, two people came together, they common interests. Wives a little further away, talking about their own. On the other side of the road - rides, carousel and other entertainment. There is also a circus tent. Pierrot and Harlequin on the balcony invite the audience. The circus is depicted under the sign "Teatr". People crowd at the entrance, those who have already been to the performance are in no hurry to leave, the rest are waiting for their turn.
A lot of noise was made by the canvas created by Kustodiev - "Shrovetide" (1919). The description of the painting by critics was ambiguous. Particularly shocked was the appearance of a masterpiece by artists from Moscow and St. Petersburg. But each of them admitted that he would like to be in the place of Boris Kustodiev. universal recognition provided invaluable moral support to the sick artist, who, in last years was chained to wheelchair. And Boris Kustodiev began work on the third canvas dedicated to the Russian holiday.
Troika buckskin
Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa", written in 1920, became the artist's third and last work on the theme of Russian festivities. placed in the center and along the edges of the picture. The artist gave the foreground to the children riding down the hill. The canvas gives off a bit of popular popular art, but this does not spoil it. And again, in the center of the picture, a sleigh pulled by a trio of buckskin horses rushes by. Both the root and the harness are ready to rush at full speed, but the driver does not give: people are walking around. A portly merchant's wife sits in a sleigh, next to him is a puny merchant. For them, Shrove Tuesday has just begun, all day long - riding on a troika, then on a carousel, after the rides - a performance in the theater, and in the evening - to the table with pancakes and red caviar. All this is conjectured when looking at Kustodiev's masterpiece, the third in a row on the theme of Shrovetide.
"Autumn"
The artist's health was deteriorating. He resisted the disease as best he could, but the disease turned out to be stronger. At the end of his life, Boris Kustodiev was forced to paint while lying in bed. He finished the famous "Russian Venus" with great difficulty, after working for several minutes, resting for two or three hours. The artist's perseverance was rewarded, the painting was recognized as a world-class masterpiece. The canvas called "Autumn" Kustodiev repeatedly postponed, but, feeling his imminent death, he nevertheless tried to finish the work.
Shades and midtones
The first reproduction of Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa" was made in 1928, after the death of the artist. The master used the technique of an engraving machine using the multi-color copying method. The result was far from the original, since the engraving conveys only the primary colors, and cannot display the midtones. Kustodiev's paintings are rich in shades. "Shrovetide" - a painting by the artist Kustodiev - fascinates with a subtle play of bluish-gray halftones. and hats on the branches of trees in anticipation of the onset of spring, the snow-covered plain serves as a backdrop for the plot content of the picture.
Kustodiev and Surikov
Another Russian artist who masterfully mastered the technique of depicting snow cover is Vasily Surikov. His unique works- "Suvorov's Crossing the Alps", "The Capture of the Snow Town" - would have been impossible without snowy background. But still, Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev is considered the most skillful master of depicting a white cover. The painting "Shrovetide" in three versions is a confirmation of this.
(1878 - 1927)
This is perhaps the only case in the world when a person doomed to immobility and slow death created the most festive, most colorful and joyful creations. From thirty three years artist Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev began to feel signs of a serious illness, which later turned out to be a tumor spinal cord. Five years later, in 1916, despite painful operations, his legs were paralyzed. And he, sometimes in a wheelchair, sometimes lying down, overcoming terrible pains, painted on canvas full of health, brightly dressed merchants, merry Shrovetide, noisy taverns ... Even knowing that death was very close, Boris Mikhailovich did not change his favorite holiday themes , did not make the palette darker and duller; it was then that he conceived a large series of works close to folk print and new to him in technology. Plots taken from modern folk ditties which he carefully wrote down. He managed to make Only two compositions: "Under the cutie's accordion" and "I robbed the Strawberry". How the names of these linocuts do not fit with the word "death", which interrupted the work of the artist!
From the very beginning of its creative way Kustodiev declared himself not only as a writer of everyday life, but no less interesting as a portrait painter. While still a student, in 1901 he painted a portrait of I. Ya. Bilibin. The beauty of the painting, the bold stroke, the nobility of the image attracted general attention. At an exhibition in Munich, the young artist received a gold medal for this portrait.
With all his work, Kustodiev claims that the Russian people are not a dull, suffering mass, that centuries of poverty, deprivation and severe social oppression could not kill the dreams of a happy life in the Russian people.
In the painting "Shrovetide" there is a holiday mood. The artist, as it were, says that the people who, after hard work, are able to have fun and enjoy life with all their hearts are great. Blowing up snowdrifts, well-fed horses race the sleigh. Diving among the white hills and frost-covered bushes on the high slope of the ravine, the owners of the sledge strive to outdo each other in boldness, speed, beauty of horses and decorations. The arches are painted, the horse harness is elegant, the back of the sleigh is lined with colored fabric. Coachmen in bright blue caftans, in hats with scarlet tops, drive dashingly, people sitting in sledges are smiling, wrapped in warm coats, in furs, covered with bright canopies. Boys and girls gathered on a nearby hillock, sitting on a log, talking, listening to an accordion, and on the other - the boys fight in the snow, sledding. Booths, people crowding around, groups of people at crossroads are clearly visible against the background of snow from above. Smoke swirls over the city roofs in the frosty haze, colorful domes and bell towers flaunt, bright and colorful near and transparently airy from a distance; and the whole city looks like a winter fairy-tale mirage, spread out in blue snows under a sky in pink, lemon-yellow and green tints.
The movement in the picture takes place as if in a huge spiral, and the center is a giant bell tower: as if all of Russia, cheerful, flushed with frost, decorated with hoarfrost, pink-blue snow, laughing and rejoicing, rushes along a huge carousel around the pink bell tower.
Russian artist - Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev
According to T. Savitskaya, V. Lebedeva
Dialogues about painting
The main theme and motive of the work of Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev can be considered the image of the Native Land, Russia, its landscapes, festivities, and the life of the people. The artist was fascinated by the colorful and noisy festivities. Kustodiev perceived the atmosphere of holidays, city festivities and folk fun in a special way. As an artist, he was attracted by the carnival and brightness of these amusements.
Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa" is filled with fun and a real holiday. The landscape, created in 1916, depicts the traditional Russian celebration of Maslenitsa, the departure of winter and the approach of spring warmth. Traditionally, Maslenitsa is associated with wide, wild sledding, fair abundance and colorful national winter festivities. On this holiday, all of Russia turns into one farce or carnival, when everything is mixed in a single stream of smiles, mischief, bright colors, ringing bells, laughter, noise and uproar of the people. Kustodiev’s painting “Maslenitsa” infects with a whirlwind of open emotions of festive fun, when everything around is spinning, hot laughing faces flash by, lushly decorated triplets of horses ringing, the aspic is heard bell ringing, the sky flashes with unprecedented fabulous shades. It's all Maslenitsa! All this is Russia! The incredible scope of the picture seems to emphasize the boundlessness of the Russian land and the generosity and wealth of the Russian character. What kind of sky does Kustodiev create! It sparkles, it alone pink colors intertwined with stripes of gold and green, forming a multi-layered festive color. The sky is like a huge ocean of pink gold, coloring large expanses of snow. The white snow-covered shores on the canvas are painted with this light glow of pinkish gold, softly enveloping these big snows of a small Russian provincial town. White snow in combination with pink light, it acquires complex shades of blue-white, lilac, pinkish-white, pale blue and many others. The coloring is distinguished by decorativeness, contrasting transitions, interesting refractions of light and shade spaces. Maslenitsa is a celebration of life, a dance of life. Kustodiev, overcoming a serious illness, affirmed the joy of life, overcoming pain in his hands, created even more bright pictures with dizzying color, dance of colors and images. The central motif of the picture is a bright trinity drawn in the foreground, which is colorful image Russia itself, rushing forward towards the bells, copper ringing, sunset flashes in the winter sky, towards the holiday, the child's sincere dream of an eternal carnival, decorated with colors satin ribbons, paper flowers and flags with the Russian tricolor. Kustodiev's canvas resembles a beautiful bizarre painting of one of the Russian folk crafts. The images turned out to be kind, cheerful, sincere, alive in their fullness and sense of life, with an open, believing child's soul. Apparently, the artist wanted to see Russia just like this - bright, strong, sincere, clean and resonant for sure. children's laughter or the bells of a racing troika.
Description of the painting by Boris Kustodiev “Shrovetide”
The great Russian artist Boris Kustodiev, assigned a very significant place public holidays and festivities, than he tried to express the essence, mood, way of life, experiences of the entire Russian people. The painting "Shrovetide", which "saw the light" in 1916, and was painted in the Art Nouveau style, is the clearest confirmation of what the artist was trying to express.
As has been customary since ancient times, the celebration takes place on the central square of the town. In the very center of the picture, you can see cheerful and cheerful people who, with great pleasure and festive mood, ride a sleigh. Sleighs, too, "keep up with the holiday": they are decorated with bells and bells on a bright arc.
Looking closer at the picture, you can immediately understand that there is a fine frosty day outside. On the faces of people, a bright blush is depicted, but this by no means spoils their mood. On the contrary, their faces are cheerful, cheerful and inspired by the atmosphere of the holiday. Still: this holiday means that the cold will soon leave, and the long-awaited spring will come.
Not far at all, enterprising merchants settled down, who, in something very briskly trade. They are also not at all afraid of the cold. It does not scare the townspeople themselves, who walk around in a cheerful and festive atmosphere. Even the horses were quite frisky. The picture shows that the driver restrains them with great difficulty.
No less happy with the holiday, and small children. They, with special delight and pleasure, ride down the hill and play snowballs. In the picture, without difficulty, you can see that they had a "severe battle".
And below, you can see the festive bustle. In full swing, noisy and fun fair. Some people go shopping, others just walk and enjoy the atmosphere of the holiday, and watch a fun performance.
For amplification festive mood, the artist depicted a couple more sledges.
The background of the picture itself, which causes peace in the viewer, is a bright and colorful winter landscape. The trees, which are covered with thick snow, seem to be about to wake up and begin to turn green.
The artist, in order to emphasize the whole atmosphere of celebration and joy, used a very interesting palette of colors. Golden-pink clouds float across the emerald sky, and shades of snow, in different places, shimmer, from pale blue to pale lilac. Such colors make the viewer feel that he himself is a participant in this holiday.
And the church itself is depicted in bright colors. This emphasizes the firm and great faith people, into everything pure, bright and good.
The picture is written so optimistically that, involuntarily, I myself want to plunge into that era, into that joy and fun with which the holidays were held.
Pancake week
The theme of Kustodiev’s painting “Maslenitsa” was the image festivities. Against the backdrop of a winter landscape, people are depicted hurrying to the main square of the town. They ride in sleighs pulled by horses. A cheerful festive atmosphere reigns all around.
The central place is occupied by a pair of beautiful stately horses harnessed to beautiful painted sledges. On one of them, a gilded patterned arc is clearly visible. Those sitting in the sleigh are also in a hurry to the holiday. It can be seen that there are a lot of people in them, there are also women. The man drives the horses.
Still, in the background, a church flaunts surrounded by trees. Also, houses and other city buildings are visible in the picture. And, the farther their image is, the more they seem to merge with the snowy expanses seen in the distance.
The landscape itself is also interesting. The shades of the sky are golden with a barely noticeable pale blue tint and pink clouds in the center of it. Against this background of the winter sky, flocks of birds soared up. The snowdrifts in the picture are a whitish-bluish hue with a slight pale pink reflection. Horse tracks are visible on them.
Trees stand, flaunting around silvery from the snow. On the left side of the central image of a sleigh with horses and people, close-up birches are depicted. They stand on a snow-covered hill, which is cordoned off in a circle by small trees below. Behind this hill, the carousel and the crowding people are visible.
By right side- a few more trees that the artist singled out from the general background, drawing them larger. Beside them are several people. The rest of the trees are drawn small. But apparently there are a lot of them. The sleigh comes out from behind the trees. There are trees in the square, where people have fun. And, throughout the town they are scattered in their winter outfits. They merge with the general landscape.
Composition based on the painting Maslenitsa Kustodiev
Shrovetide in the artist's work is the most common theme, one of his favorites. AT different years Kustodiev painted several paintings dedicated to this Russian holiday (in the period from 1916 to 1920).
As you know, Maslenitsa - traditional holiday at Slavic peoples, anticipating Easter and marking the arrival of spring. From time immemorial, Maslenitsa was widely celebrated by Russian people for a whole week, each day of which had its own traditions and customs. Kustodiev's canvas depicts, presumably, the most vividly celebrated day - Thursday. The artist aims to depict collective image jubilant Russia, because the holiday united all the townspeople, any framework and conventions are erased - here are wealthy merchants, and small grocers, and noisy children running after frisky troikas with bells, and crowds of onlookers who have gathered at the theater in anticipation of the beginning of the performance . Only the Russian soul, having cast aside all the hardships of a difficult life, can walk and rejoice so widely and carefree.
Symbols-attributes of the holiday are easily recognized in the picture. If the canvas is mentally divided into three parts, in each one can find something meaningful. On the left, everything related to the meal is depicted: signs with alluring names speak of this on the buildings - "Bakery", "Cheese and Caviar", a tavern, where tables bursting with dishes are visible through the windows. In literature, the symbolism of eating and feasting "for the whole world" is a fairly common phenomenon. The subtext of this author's move speaks for itself. Carnivals and festivities, where everyone is only engaged in eating food is nothing more than a distraction from surrounding events that are not always positive (the picture was painted in 1919 - in the post-revolutionary period).
The next shot - a bright red "Theater" sign near the building, the roof of which resembles a circus dome, and an announcement on the wall with the word "Struggle" clearly visible in the title open to the right. Here, the author already refers to the tradition of arranging fights and performances for Shrovetide week, it was believed that in this way you need to let off steam, get rid of all the negativity that has accumulated over the winter and open yourself to a new life. The culminating symbol of all this action is the church. The Church in Russia was of tremendous importance, in no locality her absence was not allowed. This is a centripetal force, this is all that unites people in an unshakable faith. The church stands on a hillock, as if watching, giving "go-ahead" for the celebration. Maslenitsa is still a truly Christian holiday. And even something more - this is the hope for the revival of life, this is the purity of thoughts and aspirations, this is purification both spiritual and physical before the upcoming celebration of Great Easter.
Such holidays dedicated to seeing off winter are typical not only for Russians - there are analogues for other peoples. But that love and that color that is fully conveyed by Kustodiev in "Maslenitsa" can not be found anywhere else.
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