Goncharova Russian AvantGarde

1
GoncharovaRussian Avant-Garde
2
Yellow Green Forest
Russian Avant-Garde

• Russian Avant-Garde is a broad term used to
  describe the influential wave of modern art that
  flourished in Russia from 1890 to 1930.
• This movement reached its height between the
  Russian Revolution of 1917 and 1932 when
  state-sponsored Socialist Realism began to
  emerge.
• The term avant-garde refers to a pushing of the
  boundaries of what is accepted as the norm.
  Thus, the avant-garde artists were the truly
  modern artists trying out new ideas and
  techniques in art.
• This painting was done in 1912. What makes it
  avant-garde?
• If this painting were new today, would it be
  considered avant-garde? Why or why not?

3
Self-Portrait with Yellow Lilies
Natalia Goncharova

• Natalia Goncharova was born in Russia in 1881 and
  died in Paris in 1962 at the age of 81.
• She attended the Moscow academy of art as a
  sculptress but turned to painting in 1904.
• In 1912, along with her future husband, she
  organized and exhibition called The Donkeys
  Tail. This exhibition was conceived as an
  intentional break from European art influence
  and the establishment of an exclusively Russian
  school of art.
• Her commitment to Russia as the inspiration of
  her art is evident in her early Neo-Primitive
  work that is inspired by Russian folk art.
• Goncharova traveled to Paris in 1916 to work as a
  set and costume designer for the ballet. She
  moved there permanently in 1919 and lived there
  until her death in 1962.

4
Self-Portrait with Yellow Lilies

• This self-portrait was done in 1907, very early
  in her career.
• What do you think Goncharova is trying to convey
  in this painting?

What does this painting have in common with the
Post-Impressionist period (Gauguin) we saw a
couple of months ago?
5
Picking Apples

• When this painting was sold in June of 2007 for
  almost 10M, it set a record both for the amount
  of money ever paid either for a painting by a
  woman artist or for a Russian painting.
• Goncharova painted this in 1909.
• The style of this painting is Neo-Primitivist, a
  Russian art movement that combines elements of
  post-impressionism with traditional Russian folk
  art. Remember the Primitive art movement
  embraced by Gauguin. How is this similar to his
  work and/or inspiration?
• What in this painting looks like folk art to
  you?
• What has Goncharova done in this painting to
  update the primitive style and make it her own?

6
Goncharova
Gauguin

• Remember the Primitive art movement embraced by
  Gauguin.
• How Goncharovas Neo-Primitivist style similar to
  his work and/or inspiration?
• How is it different?

7
A Boy with a Rooster

• This is another example of Goncharovas
  Neo-Primitivist work.
• What is happening in this painting?
• Notice her use of colors.
• Notice the flat planes used throughout the
  painting.
• Again, this painting is similar to the
  Post-Impressionist style with added elements of
  folk art.

8
Les Fleurs

• In June of 2008 this painting was sold for 10.8
  million. Here, Goncharova beat her own record of
  the largest amount of money ever paid for a work
  by a female artist.
• You can see that by the time Goncharova painted
  Les Fleurs in 1912, she was becoming avant-garde.
• What is this a painting of? What do you see
  here? Les Fleurs means The Flowers. Do you
  see flowers here?
• In this work, Goncharova is striving to break
  from a naturalistic form and is moving towards
  a more abstract form.
• What about this painting is abstract?
• What do you think of this work? How does it make
  you feel?
• Do you prefer Goncharovas early works or her
  later, more avant-garde works?
• Why?