One of the most famous Russian artists BorisKustodiev (1878-1927) repeatedly addressed the theme of festivities in the Russian provinces. He was attracted by the breadth of the Russian people's soul, rampant recklessness, a dizzying whirlwind of dances and fisticuffs, riding triplets and a mountain of treats on tables set right there among the snowdrifts. The artist wanted to display the entire color of the festival on the canvas, to permanently capture a bright event from the life of the Russian people.
Kustodiev's painting "Shrovetide" - one of hisworks dedicated to the most gay holiday, which falls on the last week before the start of Lent. Shrovetide week, unrestrained fun became a story for a painting written in 1916. The artist himself during the period of work on "Maslenitsa" the mood was not festive, the illness got on the fronts of the First World War made itself felt.
The description of the picture of Kustodiev "Maslenitsa" can bestart with the fact that in the upper part of the canvas you can see how the winter is receding: in the sky clouds, painted in pastel cream color, which happens in the very beginning of spring. In the height there is a pack of rooks, birds have arrived and are waiting for spring heat. In the center of the painting are painted sleds, harnessed by a pair of horses. A driver in festive clothes and a papakha with a crimson top pulls on the reins, behind him a young couple is sitting benevolently. In the sleigh, the junker and his girlfriend are striving to sit on the run, they are on the left. Towards another sleigh race, at a distance two teams are also trying to get ahead of each other. In the left part of the picture two carriages can be seen flying up the hill. They try to reach the team, which is in the center of the picture.
A bit further the children are riding a sleigh with a steepSlides, enjoying the latest snowy dolts. Behind the mountain there was a booth, around which the people gathered in anticipation of the performance. Houses are covered with snow, churches with belfries - in a solid white veil.
Kustodiyev's painting "Shrovetide" breathes an atmosphereholiday. At the bottom of the fair, we seem to hear a merry commotion: 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 sledge will leave, people will go home. The next day, the holiday will return to the city, then again. And so all the week until the time of the main ritual - the burning of the effigy of Winter. Description of the picture Kustodiev "Shrovetide" can be ended with a bow in honor of the 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.
Three years later, Kustodiyev returns totheme of Maslenitsa festivities. This time, the action takes place on the square of a small provincial town. In the rays of the winter sun, inclined towards sunset, the holiday is in full swing. A troika of horses is carried by a small cart on a runner. A steppe root stallion tries to restrain the fastidious pristyazhnyh - yes, there! Young horses carry a light sleigh, and the coachman whips them over with a whip. In the sleigh there are three: a lady in a white fox fur coat, next to her - a friend in a fox fur coat and opposite a boyfriend who, apparently, arranged a fun trip.
Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa" conveys the spiritmerchant provincialism. Two people came to the side of the road, they have common interests. Wives just a bit away, talking about their own. On the other side of the road are attractions, carousel and other entertainment. There is also a circus tent. Pierrot and Harlequin are calling the audience on the balcony. The circus is depicted under the sign "Theater". People crowd at the entrance, those who have already visited the show are not in a hurry to leave, the others are waiting their turn.
A lot of noise was done by the canvas that createdKustodiev, - "Pancake week" (1919). The description of the picture by critics was ambiguous. The appearance of the masterpiece of Moscow and Petersburg artists was especially shocking. 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 the painful artist, who in recent years has been chained to a wheelchair. And Boris Kustodiev began work on the third painting, dedicated to the Russian holiday.
Painting Kustodiev "Shrove Tuesday", written in 1920year, was the third and last in a row the work of the artist on the topic of Russian festivities. Multi-figured compositions are placed in the center and at the edges of the picture. The foreground of the artist gave the children skiing down the hill. The canvas gives a little popular folk art, but it does not spoil it. And again in the center of the picture sweep sled, harnessed by a troika of brown horses. Both the root and the crooks are ready to race at full speed, but the coachman does not give: people are walking around. In the sleigh there is a burly merchant, next to a frail merchant. For them, Shrovetide has just begun, all day - riding a triple, then on the carousel, after the rides - a performance in the theater, and in the evening - to the table with pancakes and red caviar. All this is thought out when looking at the masterpiece Kustodiev, the third in the account on the theme of carnival.
The artist's health deteriorated.He, as he could, resisted the disease, but the disease was stronger. At the end of his life, Boris Kustodiev was forced to paint pictures while lying in bed. The famous "Russian Venus" he finished with great difficulty, after working for several minutes, rested for two or three hours. Perseverance of the artist was rewarded, the picture is recognized as a world-class masterpiece. The canvas entitled "Autumn" Kustodiev repeatedly postponed, but, feeling a quick demise, still tried to finish the work.
The first reproduction of Kustodiev's painting "Maslenitsa"was made in 1928, after the death of the artist. The master used the technique of the engraving machine by the method of multi-color copying. The result was far from the original, as the engraving transmits only the primary colors, and can not display halftones. Kustodiev's paintings are rich in shades. "Maslenitsa" - a picture of the artist Kustodiev - fascinates by a delicate play of bluish-gray halftones. Snowy snowdrifts and hats on the branches of trees on the eve of the onset of spring, the snow-covered plain serve as a background for the plot's filling of the picture.
Another Russian artist, masterfully masteredtechnique of depicting the snow cover - this is Vasily Surikov. His unique works - "Boyarina Morozova", "Suvorov crossing the Alps", "Taking a snow town" - would have been impossible without a snowy background. But still the most skillful master of the image of the white cover is Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. The picture "Shrovetide" in three versions is a confirmation.
