Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev

Acquired by the grandfather of the present owner before 1924

The board appears sound. The surface is slightly dirty and the grain of the wood is visible. UV light reveals no apparent signs of retouching. Held in a simple wooden frame behind glass. unexamined out of frame.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

This charming scene, painted in 1919 and depicting two ladies wrapped up in Edwardian stoles and mufflers against the snows of winter, reflects, perhaps, something of Secessionist surface patterning and treatment of form . After finishing his artistic studies in Ilya Repin's studio at the Imperial Academy of Fine Arts in St. Petersburg, Kustodiev began travelling in 1904, absorbing other cultures and influences. He visited France and Spain on a grant from the Imperial Academy that year, then went to Italy in 1907 and Austria and Germany in 1909.

The flat patterns that the whites of the snow create against the blue-green background in Winter Scene, a surface that Kustodiev animates with a constellation of falling snowflakes, are beautifully contrasted with the volume, warmth and life of the two figures that inhabit the scene. These two figures, and indeed the treatment of pattern itself, echo the Jugendstil idiom of Gustav Klimt, an artist whose works Kustodiev might well have encountered during his earlier travels in Austria.