Kustodiyev does not capture the real life, he writes a dream. Such as on the canvas “Spring”, where you will see a completely unique, even a few candy world. Here there is a joyful feeling of renewal of nature, and colorful vivid scenery, and the triumph of life itself. “Spring” is an ideal-utopian world in which, for some unknown reason, people turned out to be. But the artist depicted the surrounding reality just the way he wanted it to be.
Despite the fact that Kustodiyev was already seriously ill, he was able to write “Spring”, painstakingly restoring the scenes from the life of a small village, spring floods, gingerbread houses, sunsets and domes of the little church resembling a Morgan veil.
Each viewer is struck by the memory of the author. He carefully writes out every person, every horse, every house. Architectural constructions in the paintings of this artist have their own meaning: the bright candy house near the water fills the picture with positive, and the church, made with the same colors as the sky, emphasizes the sublimity of the religious principle.
But the main thing here is not even the accuracy of the image of objects, but the very mood of the picture he once saw. The whole “Spring” pervades the feeling of cheerfulness, which comes from the artist’s very childhood, the sun’s glare of the sunset time, the smell of buds on the trees, spill of melt water and the friendly hubbub of people.
Each viewer will definitely notice that each person in this picture has its own role: someone covers the roof, someone translates flirty girls through the clutch, someone catches the dog and draws water directly from the creek, and someone just across the water riding horses.
Kustodiev’s versatile abilities are manifested best in the Spring. Here both a painter depicting a blue sky with pinkish clouds, and a draftsman, marking thin tree trunks, and a book illustrator writing history of people, and a theater artist who sets scenery from natural phenomena, villagers and architectural structures.
The picture of national life, which we see in “Spring” is in itself unique. Only this artist’s peace is adjacent to the activity. He writes a man, herding geese, boiling trade outside the fence, and a flood against the background of a peaceful spring landscape. The enchanting nature of the spring season is underlined by bluish water reflecting the world and the blue sky.
The picture was painted in the traditional for late Kustodiev way of art – the use of oil paints and canvas. The surprising ease of perception of “Spring” by each viewer indicates that this work by the artist was able to convey visual, auditory and tactile images. You see the bright colors of the settlement, feel the spring air, are amazed at the expressiveness of the canvas and are surprised at its strong sound.
Only Kustodiyev can depict the freedom of the spring day, when each person can grow wings. His picture makes you breathe deeply, feel the movement and act. Each stroke of “Spring” is filled with love for the native nature, for the memories of childhood. Despite the fact that this work currently belongs to a private collector, reproduction is quite enough to set the mood.
On the role of the landscape in the works of Kustodiev always speak separately. He called the picture “Spring”, relating it to the period of renewal of life, with a period of dreams and hopes for the best. In the landscape of this picture are read the traditional moments of life of people who, since the times of paganism, were able to live in unity with nature. He reveals with the water and the sky, the trees and the grass the peculiarities of the Russian mentality, which is able to enjoy every new day.
Kustodiyev is unique as an artist, if only because his character and manner of writing were formed in the context of Russian nature, so majestic and fragmented, simple and poetic. The master of the brush does not just write the events of their lives of ordinary people or merchants – fairs, floods, tea drinking, but also humanizes natural phenomena. Kustodievskie paintings – this is what combines the lyrics and romance with earthly life. only here you will see the unity of nature and man, Christianity and paganism, the harmony of the existence of the human principle with the native locality and nature.