At the Threshing Floor

Description

Author: Kasteyev, Abylkhan. 1904-1973
A genre composition on the theme of the harvest: in the foreground, broad swathes of golden grain mounds lie laid out. On the left in the middle ground, a yurt stands alongside a female figure, while lorries, a woman with a shovel by a heap of grain, and a conveyor occupy the right. At the center stand the low structures of the threshing floor with a river flowing behind them, and in the depth, mountains rise into the distance. The compositional structure relies on the contrast between the large, undulating masses of grain in the foreground and the horizontal divisions of the distant planes, lending scale and depth to the work. The color palette harmonizes the rich, golden-ochre tones of the grain with the cool bluish-gray shades of the background. The painting style is characterized by an even, dense application of paint and a generalization of forms, while a realistic approach with decorative nuances conveys an image of abundance and the rhythm of collective labor on the virgin lands. At the lower right - signature and date.