Kustodiev Boris Mikhailovich

Boris Mikhailovich Kustodiev was a painter, a master of genre scenes depicting provincial merchant life, a portraitist, illustrator, and theatre designer. He was among the first Soviet artists to explore historical and revolutionary themes. He studied at the Astrakhan circle under P. A. Vlasov and at the Higher Art School of the Academy of Arts under V. E. Savinsky and I. E. Repin. In 1903, he received the title of artist for his painting "Village Bazaar." He was a member of the "World of Art" (Mir Iskusstva) and NOH societies. He became an Academician in 1909. In 1918, he participated in the festive decoration of Petrograd. His self-portrait is held in the Uffizi Gallery in Florence.