NATALIA GONTCHAROVA (1881 1962)

NATALIA GONTCHAROVA (1881 1962)
Costume designer Natalia Goncharova stood out for her leadership within the Russian avant-garde prior to the Soviet Revolution and for her intense collaboration in the staging of the ballets of her compatriot Sergey Dyaghilev. In 1898, he began his studies at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. There he met Mikhail Larionov, who would become his companion, both artistically and personally, until the end of his life._x000D
French post-impressionist art left a decisive influence on works in which Russian rural themes predominated. By 1910, some of his production continued to be directly related to the world of icons and popular art, while in others the influence of cubism and futurism was beginning to be evident. From there he evolved into rayonism, a style in which he produced a series of forest views in 1913. His work was well received by critics and the public, although his lifestyle, far from social conventions, was always accompanied by a certain amount of controversy._x000D_
In 1914 Goncharova participated in the staging of "Le Coq d'or de Diághilev", the first of a whole series of collaborations that made her known in France and the West mainly as a stage designer. She travelled with Dyaghilev and Larionov to Switzerland, Italy and Spain, and in 1919 they established their residence in Paris. A few months before her death in 1962, the Arts Council of London organised a retrospective exhibition of their work, recognising its importance in the Russian and European art scene of the 20th century.
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Signed in the lower left corner Watercolour and pencil on paper 34 x 24 cm Automatically translated by DeepL. To see the original version, click here.