Yekaterina Seredniakova

CURRENT EXHIBITIONS

Ye. Seredniakova
Boris Kustodiev: Guardian of Folk Beauty

№4 2004 (05)

THE ART OF BORIS KUSTODIEV APPEARS, PARADOXICALLY, TO APPEAL BOTH TO THE CASUAL VIEWER AND TO THE EXPERIENCED ART SPECIALIST. IN HIS PAINTINGS, KUSTODIEV CREATES A BEAUTIFUL UTOPIA, A LAND OF POPULAR WHIM AND FOLK FANTASY. HIS WORLD IS FILLED WITH IMAGES THAT ARE SO VIVID AND SO CONVINCING THAT THEY HAVE BECOME A PART OF EVERYDAY LANGUAGE: WE SPEAK OF "KUSTODIEV BEAUTIES", "KUSTODIEV FAIRS" AND "KUSTODIEV WINTERS". HIS ART WAS LIKE THE FINAL BURST OF A GLORIOUS SUNSET SPLENDOUR OVER A RUSSIA WHICH WAS DISAPPEARING FAST, NEVER TO RETURN.