Natalia Goncharova (Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism) - Beate Kemfert

Russian avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova (1881 1962) left behind an extensive and complex body of work. Inspired by the folklore and art of her country, in her early years she produced colorful, strongly ornamental paintings. Her religious paintings, which were influenced by icons, were highly controversial. She began working with Cubism during her Moscow period, providing the Russian avant-garde with an important impetus for linking tradition with modernity. Reading her letters and notes, one becomes aware of this non-conformist s often biting, ironic tone. In 1917, Goncharova settled permanently in Paris, where she designed costumes and sets for Sergei Diaghilev s Ballets Russes. In exile, however, the artist fell on hard times. This publication illuminates the details of Goncharova's life and work and assigns the oeuvre of this unconventional artist who to this day has not yet been properly recognized in her own country the status it deserves.