Collection: Boris Kustodiev

Boris Mikhaylovich Kustodiev (1878–1927) was a Russian painter, draughtsman, and stage designer. He studied at the St. Petersburg Academy of Arts from 1896 to 1903, notably under Ilya Repin. Kustodiev worked during the Modernist period, developing a diverse artistic practice that included painting, graphic arts, and theatrical design.

Kustodiev's art often depicted peasant festivals, provincial town life, and the Russian merchant class, frequently with a distinctive, decorative character. He also created landscapes and developed a portrait genre that integrated the sitter with their interior or a surrounding landscape. His style incorporated elements of realism, Art Nouveau, and plein air painting.

From 1911, Kustodiev was a member of the "Mir iskusstva" (World of Art) group, and an academician of the Imperial Academy of Arts from 1909. He also joined the Union of Russian Artists (1907-1910) and later the Association of Artists of Revolutionary Russia (1923). In his later career, he addressed Soviet reality, creating works such as "Bolshevik" and depicting V.I. Lenin.