Shrovetide
1916
Confined to a wheelchair for the last decade of his life due to a spinal tumor, Boris Kustodiev painted this vibrant winter scene from memory and imagination, bursting with the joyous energy of Russian folk life. The canvas captures the chaotic, colorful celebration of Maslenitsa (Shrovetide), where townspeople race down snowy hills in horse-drawn troikas and sleds beneath a candy-colored sunset sky. Despite his own physical suffering, Kustodiev created a world of pure, unadulterated festivity that remains an iconic symbol of Russian winter culture.
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