Author Description

One of the original "amazons of the Russian avant garde," Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) bequeathed a rich and complex body of work to a culture that has only recently begun to recognize it. Like her contemporary Kazimir Malevich, Goncharova drew inspiration from the folklore and art of her country, producing in her early years very colorful and strongly ornamental paintings, as well as religious works influenced by the Russian icon tradition. In the 1910s, Goncharova began experimenting with Cubism, becoming one of the earliest exponents of modern art in Moscow; in 1917, she settled permanently in Paris, where she designed costumes and sets for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. This publication, the first to provide a full overview of Goncharova's career (including her later, less documented years in Paris) illuminates the trajectory of Goncharova's career, restoring her work to its former prominence.