Shrovetide
| Support Type: | Canvas |
| Paint Type: | Oil Paint |
| Current Location: | The State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg |
Boris Kustodiev's Shrovetide (1916) looks like a memory of winter turned into a festival. The snow-covered landscape is filled with people, colourful clothes, horses and sleighs and all this gives the feeling that the whole town has come alive for the festival. Kustodiev uses bright, almost exaggerated colours and simplified forms giving the scene the cheerful quality of a folk tale. The chill of winter seems to disappear in the warmth of people and excitement of the holidays. The charm of the painting lies in the fact that Kustodiev seems to look on Russian life with affection. The decorated houses, the busy streets, the sleighs and the richly dressed figures are not rendered as ordinary details, but as things worthy of celebration and remembrance. There is also a child-like quality to the painting. The wide view, the vivid colours and the constant movement make the world seem larger, brighter and more exciting than normal life. Shrovetide is not just a religious festivity or a farewell to winter. A time when ordinary people can put aside their worries and just enjoy each other’s company. Kustodiev captures that feeling beautifully, turning a winter landscape into a joyous portrait of community, memory and the simple pleasure of celebration.