Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev (February 23 (March 7), 1878, Astrakhan — may 26, 1927, Leningrad) was a Russian Soviet artist. Academician of painting (1909). Member Of the Association of artists of revolutionary Russia (since 1923). Portrait artist, theater artist, decorator.
Boris Kustodiev was born in Astrakhan. His father, Mikhail Lukich Kustodiev), was a Professor of philosophy, history of literature and taught logic at the local theological Seminary.
His father died when the future artist was not even two years old. Boris studied at a parochial school, then at a gymnasium. From the age of 15, he took drawing lessons from a graduate of the St. Petersburg Academy of arts, P. Vlasov.
In 1896, he entered the Higher art school at the Imperial Academy of arts. He studied first in the workshop of V. E. Savinsky, from the second year - with I. E. Repin. He took part in the work on Repin's painting "the Solemn meeting of the State Council on may 7, 1901". Despite the fact that the young artist gained wide popularity as a portrait artist, Kustodiev chose a genre theme for his competitive work ("at the Bazaar") and in the autumn of 1900 went in search of nature in the Kostroma province. Here Kustodiev met his future wife-20-year-old Yulia Evstafyevna Proshinskaya. Subsequently, the artist made several picturesque portraits of his beloved wife.
On October 31, 1903, he completed the training course with a gold medal, received the title of artist for the painting "At the Bazaar", and the right to a one-year pensioner trip abroad and in Russia. Before completing the course, he took part in international exhibitions in St. Petersburg and Munich (big gold medal of the International Association).
In December 1903, he arrived in Paris with his wife and son. During his trip, Kustodiev visited Germany, Italy, Spain, studied and copied the works of old masters. Entered the Studio of Rene Menard.
Six months later Kustodiev returned to Russia and worked in the Kostroma province on a series of paintings "Fairs"and" Village holidays". In 1904, he became a founding member of the New society of artists. In 1905-1907, he worked as a cartoonist in the satirical magazine " Zhupel "(famous drawing " Introduction. Moscow"), after its closure - in the magazines "Hell mail" and "Sparks". Since 1907-member of the Union of Russian artists. In 1909, on the recommendation of Repin and other professors, he was elected a member of the Academy of arts. At the same time, Kustodiev was asked to replace Serov as a teacher of the portrait and genre class at the Moscow school of painting, sculpture and architecture, but fearing that this activity would take up a lot of time from his personal work and not wanting to move to Moscow, Kustodiev refused the position. Since 1910-a member of the renewed "World of art" [2].
In 1909, Kustodiev showed the first signs of a spinal cord tumor. Several operations brought only temporary relief; the artist was confined to a wheelchair for the last 15 years of his life. Due to illness, he was forced to write works lying down. However, it is during this difficult period of life that his most vivid, temperamental, and cheerful works appear. In 1913, he taught at the New art workshop (Saint Petersburg).
