Kustodiev, painting “Kupets in the Shuba”, 1920 
- Author: Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev
- Museum: Nikolaev Art Museum named after. Vereshchagina
- Year: 1920
Overview of the painting :
The merchant in the fur coat is Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev. 1920. Watercolor on paper. 34×27
Kustodievsky merchant – the artist’s memories of a past life – full, prosperous, stable. The merchant of the master is huge, full, well-fed. A heavy coat with a rich collar, an expensive karakul hat, a pathetic well-groomed beard are not random details. Before us is a successful merchant, thorough and thorough. It was such people who were the pillar of Russia, the foundation of its economic prosperity.
The merchant’s look is very energetic and lively, which contrasts with the fat figure of the hero. In the look, extraordinary mobility, a sharp mind, a grip are felt. The appearance of the merchant is deceiving. It is only at first glance that he is clumsy, lazy. In trade affairs, his pressure and commercial talent are very active and energetic.
The background of the drawing speaks a lot. Shopping rows, inn, church. All these are three components of Russian merchant life. A well-fed, powerful Russian land behind the back of a merchant.
Warm fur coat, smoke pillar from the chimney of the inn – create an atmosphere of coziness, comfort, stability.
It is no coincidence that the artist actively uses blue and blue colors. They emphasize not only the frosty winter weather, but also the author’s nostalgia for the past tense.