Malevich, is there any point?
I say “Malevich” - you imagine a black square. But Malevich painted not only a square, but also many different colored figures. And not only figures. But now let's talk about them. When you look at Malevich’s paintings, the question arises: “why did he paint this?” By the way, Malevich answers the question “why” - very long and boring in his philosophical works. To put it simply and briefly, it was a protest. Creativity as protest. An attempt to create something completely new. And there’s no arguing that Malevich managed to surprise and shock. A hundred years have passed since the “Black Square” was created, and it still haunts people, and many consider it their duty to dismiss “I can do it too.” And you can do this, and Malevich could do it. Malevich was the first to think of this - and therefore became popular.Even the artist draws inspiration from the master’s paintings!
Malevich was able to come up with a new direction. This direction of painting is called “Suprematism”. From the word “supremus”, which means “highest”. At first, Malevich called color “high.” After all, color is the main thing in painting. And then, with the advent of popularity, the artist already called his style “superior”. I could afford it. Now Suprematism is the highest, the best, the only true style of painting.
Suprematist artists draw different geometric shapes, most often square, rectangle, circle and line. The colors are simple - black, white, red and yellow. But there may be exceptions - every artist draws the way he wants.
If you want to understand the directions contemporary art, then we recommend reading a couple of books in the selection.
How did Malevich understand painting?
This can be said in one quote:“When the habit of seeing in paintings images of corners of nature, Madonnas and shameless Venuses disappears, then only we will see a purely pictorial work.”
How does it differ from the work of the “unclean”? The fact that painting, according to Malevich, should create something that has never existed before. Create, not repeat. This is what distinguishes an artist from a craftsman. The artisan “stamps” the product. And the artist’s work is one such thing. Without repeating what has already been created. If we see a landscape on a canvas, this is a “repetition” of nature. If a person is drawn, this is also a repetition, because people already exist in life.
Malevich coined the term – pointlessness. In the picture we must see the non-objectivity, and only in this case the picture is real. Because if we see an object, it means that this object exists in the world. If it exists, it means that the artist did not draw anything new. Then why did he draw at all? This is the philosophy.
In addition to the famous “Black Square,” Malevich also painted white and red squares. But for some reason they did not become so popular.
So, the meaning of Malevich’s paintings is that the artist comes up with something that has never happened and never will. This is how he excites the audience. The public likes to discuss, condemn, or, on the contrary, admire. That is why Malevich gained popularity, and debates about his work still do not subside. But Malevich is not only Suprematism.
What else did Malevich paint?
All artists, before moving on to such experiments, first learned academic painting. The one that follows the rules to which we are accustomed. Malevich is no exception. He painted landscapes and portraits and was engaged in fresco painting.Sketch fresco painting entitled "The Triumph of Heaven":
Scenery. "Spring":
Portrait of a girl:
After this, Malevich moved on to experiments. The artist tried to convey the movement of people using geometric shapes. One of the most popular paintings in this style is called “The Lumberjack”. The effect of movement is achieved through smooth color transitions.
And these are paintings from the artist’s “Peasant Cycle”. “To the harvest. Marfa and Vanka." At first glance, the figures seem motionless, but in just a moment we will see movement.
Another “moving” picture is “Harvest”:
And this picture is called “Athletes”. The main thing here is color and symmetry. This is an example of how the Suprematism movement can be used not only in drawing squares and lines. The silhouettes consist of multi-colored figures. But at the same time we see people in the picture. And we even notice the sports uniform.
Fabrics from Malevich
Malevich created sketches of such fabrics. Their ornamentation was invented under the influence of the same Suprematism: on the fabric we see figures and typical colors - black, red, blue, green.
Based on the sketches of Malevich and Alexandra Ekster (artist and designer), the craftswomen of the village of Verbovka made embroidery. They embroidered scarves, tablecloths and pillows, and then sold them at fairs. Such embroideries were especially popular at fairs in Berlin.
Malevich also drew sketches of costumes for the play “Victory over the Sun.” It was an experimental play that defied logic. The only one musical instrument which accompanied the piece was an out-of-tune piano. From left to right: Attentive worker, Athlete, Bully.
What inspired Malevich?
How was Malevich able to come up with a new direction? Amazing fact, but the artist was inspired folk art. In his autobiography, he called ordinary peasant women his first art teachers. The future artist looked at their work and realized that he wanted to learn the same way. Take a closer look at the embroidery - this is the beginning of Suprematism. Here we see the same geometry that Malevich would later create. These are ornaments without beginning or end - multi-colored figures on a white background. Squares. In Malevich's Suprematist drawings the background is white, because it means infinity. And the colors of the patterns are the same: red, black, blue are used.
1. At the porcelain factory in Petrograd, tableware and tea sets were decorated according to the sketches of Malevich and his students.
2. Malevich was the designer of the bottle of Severny cologne. The artist designed the bottle at the request of perfumer Alexandre Brocard. This is a transparent glass bottle, shaped like an ice mountain. And on top there is a cap in the shape of a bear.
3. The familiar word “weightlessness” was invented by Malevich. The artist understood development (whether creative or technical) as an airplane that had overcome its weight and taken to the sky. That is, weightlessness for Malevich meant an ideal. And weight is a frame, a weight that pulls people down. And over time, the word began to be used in its usual meaning.
4. A true artist has art everywhere. Even in everyday life. This is what Malevich's office looked like. We see a black square, a cross and a circle. In the middle is one of the Suprematist paintings that the artist painted at that time.
5. Malevich had a wonderful sense of humor. He signed some paintings like this: “The meaning of the painting is unknown to the author.” Funny, but honest.
6. There is still not a single Malevich museum in the world. But there are monuments.
Opening of the monument to the “Black Square”:
Monument to the work of Malevich:
7. Malevich is not only an artist and designer, but also a writer: he wrote poems, articles and philosophical books.
8. Malevich was abroad only once, but his work was popular throughout Europe. And now most of his paintings are in museums in Europe and America.
9. All his life the artist thought that he was born in 1878. And only after the celebration of his 125th anniversary it became clear that real date birth – 1879. Therefore, Malevich’s 125th anniversary was celebrated twice.
10. Recently programmers came up with the “Malevich font”. It's difficult to read, but looks interesting.
7 facts about the “Black Square”
1. The first name of the “Black Square” is “Black quadrangle on a white background.” And it’s true: “Black Square” is not actually a square. After all, neither side is equal to the other. It's almost invisible - but you can apply a ruler and measure.
2. In total, Malevich painted 4 “Black Squares”. They are all different in size and are located in Russian museums. The artist himself called his square “the beginning of everything.” But in fact, the first “Black Square” is a painted over picture. Which one – we don’t know. There was a lot of debate about whether to remove the paint from the square and look or leave everything as is. We decided to leave it. After all, first of all, this was the will of the artist. And under the x-ray you can see what kind of drawing Malevich began to draw. Most likely, this is also something geometric:
3. Malevich himself explained “painting over” differently. He said that he drew the square quickly, that the idea arose as an inspiration. Therefore, there was no time to look for a clean linen - and he took the one that was lying at hand.
4. “Black Square” quickly became a symbol of new art. It was used as a signature. Artists sewed a square piece of black fabric onto clothing. This meant that they were artists of a new generation. In the photo: Malevich’s students under a flag in the form of a black square.
5. What does “Black Square” mean? Everyone can understand the picture in their own way. Some people believe that in a square we see space, because in space there is no up and down. Only weightlessness and infinity. Malevich said that a square is a feeling, and White background- nothing. It turns out that this feeling is empty. And also - the square does not occur in nature, unlike other figures. This means it is not related to real world. This is the whole meaning of Suprematism.
6. At his first exhibition in St. Petersburg, Malevich defiantly hung the “Black Square” in the corner where icons usually hung. The artist challenged the public. And the public was immediately divided into opponents of the new art and its admirers.
7. Main value“Black Square” is that every admirer of Malevich’s work can hang a reproduction of the painting in his home. Moreover, it is of our own production.
Finally, I offer this quote from Malevich, which explains all of his work:
“They always demand that art be understandable, but they never demand that they adapt their heads to understanding.”
The large Polish family of the Malevichs constantly moved from place to place, traveling across half of Ukraine: Kyiv, Moevka, Parkhomovka, Belopole, Konotop. Severin Malevich worked as a manager at a sugar production plant. The eldest of nine children, Casimir, born February 23, 1879, was destined for a similar career. But technology did not at all attract the boy, who was in love with nature, bright colors And peasant life. He admired the ability of people working on the land to find time for creative activities: singing, dancing, decorating their homes.
Father often took Kazimir on business trips. During one of them, he saw in the window of a Kyiv store a picture of a girl peeling potatoes. Despite the simple plot and standard style of painting, this portrait became one of his first aesthetic shocks. Kazimir was saved from boring and routine work at a factory or railroad by his mother. Ludviga Alexandrovna not only took care of the house and children, but also did needlework, teaching her son a lot along the way, and wrote poetry. At the age of 15, she purchased a set of paints of 54 colors, realizing that this was exactly the kind of gift her sensitive personality needed. wonderful son. Various impressions accumulated during childhood and adolescence - Moonlight V dark room, the immensity of the horizon, the green-painted roof, the ripples on a huge puddle - and the admiration for color were splashed out on paper. The first picture was the one that delighted his friends, “ Moonlight night", sold in a Konotop stationery shop for 5 rubles. The first meeting with real artists took place with Malevich in Belopole. The work of icon painters from St. Petersburg so impressed the future painter that he and a friend even planned an escape to the Northern capital. Years later, the study of icon painting would help him better understand the naive creativity of the peasants.
Kazimir Severinovich can rightfully be called self-taught, including in painting. In his luggage there are only a few classes of an agricultural school, a year's study at the drawing school of Nikolai Murashko in Kyiv in 1895-96. An attempt to become a student at the MUZHVZ (school of painting, sculpture and architecture) was stopped by his father, who did not send an application for admission to Moscow.
After moving to Kursk in 1896 in connection with the appointment of Malevich Sr. to work in the Directorate railway Considerable changes have taken place in the life of the family. Kazimir got a job as a draftsman in the same department, not forgetting about painting. Together with several colleagues, he organized a circle that united amateur artists. In 1901, he married the daughter of the pharmacist Zgleits, his namesake, who bore him two children - Anatoly (1901) and Galina (1905). In 1902, a misfortune happened - Severin Antonovich died suddenly of a heart attack. Despite the economic crisis and the status of the main breadwinner big family, Malevich was haunted by thoughts about Moscow. It was there, in his opinion, that the dream of serious painting could be realized. In 1905 his dream came true. Leaving his family in Kursk with the promise to return for his loved ones when he settles down, Kazimir moves to Moscow. The small funds accumulated during his service in Kursk allowed him to settle in the Kurdyumov art commune. Some unsuccessful attempts admission to the Moscow School of Painting and Painting and a great desire to learn drawing led him in 1906 to the private school-studio of the artist Fyodor Rerberg, one of the founders of the Association of Artists. Malevich also took part in exhibitions of this community since 1907. His acquaintance with Ivan Klyun and Mikhail Larionov dates back to this period. The works of that period reflected his passion for impressionism. Studying with Rerberg allowed him to master various methods and techniques of painting and gain systematic knowledge of its history. He regularly visited the Tretyakov Gallery and attended exhibitions contemporary artists and performances of Moscow theaters.
After the death of her husband, Ludwig Alexandrovna did not lose heart and took upon herself to provide for her family, while at the same time providing the maximum possible support to her son in his quest to become a real artist. Thanks to her efforts, his wife and children were able to move to Moscow from Kursk. But after a couple of years, the marriage collapsed, unable to withstand material difficulties and guest relationships. After all, even after the family moved to Moscow, Kazimir did not immediately leave the commune, not intending to sacrifice his dream. Priority was unconditionally given to painting, in contrast to Klyun, who did not leave his service to provide for a family with three children. Malevich’s work at the beginning of the 20th century is characterized by eclecticism or mixture different styles: departure from realistic manner in favor of impressionism, fauvism, modernism. The end of the first decade was very fruitful for the artist, and Fauvist motifs predominated in his work. Acquaintance with Larionov allowed him to take part in the first exhibition of the Jack of Diamonds association. From 1908 to 1912, his vivid works in folk style, belonging to the so-called peasant cycle, appeared in the exhibitions of the Moscow Salon, the Youth Union, the Munich Blue Horseman, and Donkey's Tail. The "Donkey's Tail" included Larionov, Goncharova, Malevich, Tatlin, Chagall, Fonvizin, who broke away from the "Jack of Diamonds" group. Subsequently, having disagreed with Larionov, Malevich, at the invitation of Matyushin, joined the Youth Union association. During this period, there was a gradual transition to the cubo-futuristic style. In 1913, he took part in the “Target” exhibition with compositions written in a similar manner. The idea for the famous “Black Square” arose in 1913 while working on the sets and costumes for the futuristic opera “Victory over the Sun” by Kruchenykh and Matyushin. The black and white backdrop, against which a chaotic action unfolded with illogical text, symbolized an eclipse, the triumph of new life and the human mind. Malevich's innovative discoveries: the effect of depth achieved by constructing scenery in a cubic-shaped structure, creating three-dimensional space with the help of light. The use of geometric figures in stage design and costumes, dividing them into component parts, anticipated the creation of its own direction in painting - Suprematism. Asymmetrical compositions of multi-colored planes in dynamic space. The results of work in a new direction were presented at the futuristic exhibition “0, 10” in 1915. The selection of 39 paintings also included “Black Square,” located in the upper corner of the room. Where icons are traditionally hung. In 2015 it was committed sensational discovery. The picture resembles a matryoshka doll in which several images are hidden: under the quadrangle dark color there are two more compositions - cubo-futurist and proto-suprematist. The inscription “Battle of Negroes in a Dark Cave” was also found there, evoking associations with the black rectangle of Alphonse Allais.
After the revolution, Malevich was called by the new government to work in the field of protection of monuments and cultural values, including in the Kremlin. He served as chairman of the art department in the Moscow City Council, after which two new museums of modern art appeared in Moscow. He taught at the State Free Workshops, collaborated with Meyerhold on the production of Mystery Bouffe in Petrograd, and wrote the work “On New Systems in Art.” In 1919 his first personal exhibition took place. In the same year, Malevich moved with his second wife to Vitebsk, where he was mainly engaged in teaching art school, created by Chagall, and writing works devoted to modern art. The UNOVIS society he created in 1920 included Lisitsky, Kogan, Chashnik and others talented artists and architects. In 1922, Malevich and his students and followers returned to Petrograd. In 1925, he presented his new developments regarding the use of Suprematism in building design - architectons and planites.
The artist’s trips abroad began only in 1927. The first country was Poland, where the artist’s Suprematist paintings were treated very favorably. The exhibition in Berlin was a triumph. But instead of five months, he was only able to stay there for one. The authorities' demand for Malevich's immediate return to the USSR forced him to leave Germany. He left most of the paintings for the preservation of the architect Hugo Hering. Many of them can be seen in the Amsterdam City Museum. At home he was arrested as an alleged German spy. The imprisonment did not last long - about a month. But we can confidently assume that the trigger for the terrible illness from which he later died was the stress experienced during his first arrest.
While Malevich’s fame was growing abroad (new exhibitions in Berlin and Vienna), clouds were gathering around him in his native country. For about a year he regularly came to Kyiv to give lectures in art institute. The exhibition organized there in the spring of 1930 caused negative reaction in power structures. A new arrest followed, and only the intervention of high-ranking official Kirill Shutko, his friend, allowed him to soon be released. Created by 1932, a new folklore cycle, “post-suprematist” canvases, with flat torsos is evidence of internal breakdown and growing anxiety. The painting with the eloquent title “Complicated Premonition” with a dramatic color scheme, the absence of a face on the character, deprived of the ability to see and speak, anticipates the events of the near future. In the works late period there is an unexpected return to a realistic manner. This is exactly how the portraits of his daughter Una, born in his second marriage, of Klyun, Punin, the artist’s third wife, and ordinary workers were painted.
In 1933, Kazimir Severinovich was diagnosed with cancer, from which he died on May 15, 1935. Malevich bequeathed to bury him in a cross-shaped Suprematist coffin with his arms outstretched to the sides. After the cremation procedure, the ashes were transported to Nemchinovka, a village near Moscow, where the artist loved to relax. On the cubic monument erected over the grave, a black square was depicted. Several decades later, the burial site, lost during World War II, was discovered by pathfinders.
Elena Tanakova
Malevich's works represent some of the most striking manifestations of abstract art of modern times. Founder of Suprematism, Russian and Soviet artist entered the history of world art with the painting “Black Square”, but his work was by no means limited to this work. With the most famous works Any cultured person should be familiar with the artist.
Theorist and practitioner of contemporary art
Malevich's works clearly reflect the state of affairs in society at the beginning of the 20th century. The artist himself was born in Kyiv in 1879.
According to him own stories According to his autobiography, public exhibitions of the artist began in Kursk in 1898, although no documentary evidence of this was found.
In 1905 he tried to enter the Moscow school painting, sculpture and architecture. However, he was not accepted. At that time, Malevich still had a family in Kursk - his wife Kazimira Zgleits and children. There was a split in their personal life, so even without enrolling, Malevich did not want to return to Kursk. The artist settled in Lefortovo in an art commune. IN huge house The artist Kurdyumov was home to about 300 masters of painting. Malevich lived in the commune for six months, but despite the extremely low rent for housing, after six months the money ran out and he still had to return to Kursk.
Malevich finally moved to Moscow only in 1907. Attended classes by the artist Fyodor Rerberg. In 1910, he began to take part in exhibitions of the creative association of the early avant-garde. Paintings began to appear that brought him world fame and recognition.
"Suprematist composition"
In 1916, Malevich's works were already quite well known in the capital. At that time She appears, painted in oil on canvas. In 2008, it was sold at Sotheby's for $60 million.
The artist’s heirs put it up for auction. In 1927 it was exhibited at an exhibition in Berlin.
At the opening of the gallery, it was represented by Malevich himself, but he soon had to return because the Soviet authorities did not extend his foreign visa. He had to leave all his work. There were about 70 of them. The German architect Hugo Hering was appointed responsible. Malevich expected to return for the paintings in the very near future, but he was never allowed to go abroad again.
Just before his death, Hering donated all of Malevich's works, which he had kept for many years, to the Amsterdam City Museum (also known as the Steleijk Museum). Hering entered into an agreement according to which the museum had to pay him a certain amount every year for 12 years. Ultimately, immediately after the death of the architect, his relatives, who formalized the inheritance, received the entire amount at once. Thus, the “Suprematist Composition” ended up in the collections of the Amsterdam City Museum.
Malevich's heirs have been trying to return these paintings since the 70s of the 20th century. But they were not successful.
Only in 2002, 14 works from the Amsterdam museum were presented at the exhibition "Kazimir Malevich. Suprematism". It took place in the USA. Malevich's heirs, some of whom are American citizens, have filed a lawsuit against the Dutch museum. The gallery management agreed to a pre-trial agreement. According to its results, 5 of the artist’s 36 paintings were returned to his descendants. In return, the heirs waived further claims.
This painting remains the most expensive painting by a Russian artist ever sold at auction.
"Black square"
One of his most discussed works. It is part of the artist’s series of works dedicated to Suprematism. In it he explored the basic possibilities of composition and light. In addition to the square, this triptych contains the paintings “Black Cross” and “Black Circle”.
Malevich painted the painting in 1915. The work was done for the final Futurist exhibition. Malevich's works at the exhibition "0.10" in 1915 were hung in what is called the "red corner". In the place where the icon traditionally hung in Russian huts, the “Black Square” was located. The most mysterious and most terrible picture in the history of Russian painting.
Three key Suprematist forms - square, cross and circle, in art theory were considered standards that stimulate further complication of the entire Suprematist system. It is from them that new Suprematist forms are subsequently born.
Many researchers of the artist’s work have repeatedly tried to find the original version of the painting, which would have been located under the top layer of paint. So, in 2015, fluoroscopy was performed. As a result, it was possible to isolate two more color images that were located on the same canvas. Initially, a cubo-futurist composition was drawn, and above it there was also a proto-Suprematist one. Only then everything was filled with a black square.
Scientists also managed to decipher the inscription that the artist left on the canvas. These are the words “Battle of the Negroes in a Dark Cave”, which refer art connoisseurs to the famous monochrome work by Alphonse Allais, which he created in 1882.
It is no coincidence that the name of the exhibition, which featured Malevich’s works, was also given. Photos from the opening day can still be found in old archives and magazines of that time. The presence of the number 10 indicated the number of participants expected by the organizers. But the zero indicated that the “Black Square” would be exhibited, which, according to the author’s plan, was going to reduce everything to zero.
Three squares
In addition to the “Black Square,” there were several more of these geometric figures in Malevich’s work. And the “Black Square” itself was at first a simple triangle. It did not have strict right angles. Therefore, from the point of view of purely geometry, it was a quadrangle and not a square. Art historians note that the whole point is not the author’s negligence, but a principled position. Malevich sought to create perfect shape, which would be quite dynamic and mobile.
There are also two more works by Malevich - squares. These are "Red Square" and "White Square". The painting "Red Square" was shown at the avant-garde exhibition "0.10". The white square appeared in 1918. At that time, Malevich’s works, photos of which can be found in any art textbook today, were going through the stage of the “white” period of Suprematism.
"Mystical Suprematism"
From 1920 to 1922, Malevich worked on the painting “Mystical Suprematism.” It is also known as "Black Cross on a Red Oval". The canvas is painted in oil on canvas. It was also sold at Sotheby's for almost $37,000.
By and large, this painting repeats the fate of “Suprematist Construction”, which has already been told. It also ended up in the collections of the Amsterdam Museum, and only after Malevich’s heirs went to court did they manage to regain at least some of the paintings.
"Suprematism. 18 design"
Malevich's works, photos with titles of which can be found in any textbook on the history of art, fascinate and attract close attention.
Another interesting painting is the painting “Suprematism. 18 design”, painted in 1915. It was sold at Sotheby's in 2015 for almost $34 million. It also ended up in the hands of the artist’s heirs after a lawsuit with the Amsterdam City Museum.
Another painting that the Dutch parted with was “Suprematism: pictorial realism football player. Colorful masses in the fourth dimension." It found its owner in 2011. It was purchased by the Art Institute in Chicago for an amount that it did not want to disclose to the public. But the work of 1913 - "Desk and Room" could be seen at a major exhibition of Malevich in the Tate Gallery in Madrid. Moreover, the painting was exhibited anonymously. What the organizers had in mind is unclear. After all, in cases where the true owner of the painting wishes to remain anonymous, they declare that the painting is in a private collection. Here, a fundamentally different formulation is used.
"Suprematist composition"
Malevich's works, the description of which you will find in this article, will give you a fairly complete and clear idea of his work. For example, the painting “Suprematist Composition” was created in 1919-1920. In 2000, it was sold at a Phillips auction for $17 million.
This painting, unlike the previous ones, after Malevich left Berlin for Soviet Union, remained in Germany. In 1935, she was taken to the United States by the director of the New York Museum of Modern Art, Alfred Barr. For 20 years it was exhibited in the USA as part of the exhibition “Cubism and The fact is that the painting had to be urgently taken out - by that time the Nazis had come to power in Germany, Malevich’s work fell out of favor. The Nazi authorities classified it as a model. At first, the director of the Hanover Museum hid the painting in his basement, and then secretly handed it over to Barr, who took the priceless work to the United States.
In 1999, the New York Museum returned this painting and several of his graphic works to Malevich’s heirs.
Self-portrait of the artist
In 1910, Malevich painted his self-portrait. This is one of three self-portraits of his painted during this period. It is well known that the other two are kept in domestic museums. These works by Malevich Tretyakov Gallery can see.
The third self-portrait was sold at auction. Initially he was in private collection George Costakis. In 2004, at a Christie's auction in London, a self-portrait found its owner for only 162 thousand pounds sterling. In total, because over the next 35 years its value has increased approximately 35 times. Already in 2015, the canvas was sold at Sotheby's auction for almost $9 million. Indeed, a profitable investment.
"Peasant's Head"
If we analyze Malevich’s works over the years, we can establish a certain trend with the help of which we can trace how his work developed.
A good example of this is the painting “Head of a Peasant,” painted in 1911. In 2014, at a Sotheby's auction in London, it went under the hammer for $3.5 million.
The public first saw this painting by Malevich in 1912 at the exhibition “Donkey’s Tail,” which was organized by Natalya Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov. After this, she participated in the Berlin exhibition in 1927. Then Malevich himself gave it to Hugo Hering. From him it was inherited by his wife and daughter. Heering's heirs sold the painting only in 1975, after his death.
In the Russian Museum
Malevich's works are widely represented in the Russian Museum. Here is perhaps the richest collection of his works. The work of this reformer and teacher is treated with reverence; his paintings are given the most honorable places.
In total, the collections of the Russian Museum today contain about 100 paintings, plus at least 40 graphic ones. Many of them have new dates. More accurate. The uniqueness of the collection presented in the Russian Museum lies in the fact that there are not only a lot of works, they also cover the widest possible range of his work. Presented as early works, practically the first experiments in painting, and later realistic portraits, on which you can’t recognize the brush of the artist who painted “Black Square”.
Death of an Artist
Kazimir Malevich died in Leningrad in 1935. According to his will, the body was placed in a Suprematist coffin, which was a cross with outstretched arms, and cremated.
Kazimir Severinovich Malevich (1878 - 1935) is an artist famous in the genre of avant-garde, impressionism, futurism, and cubism.
Biography of Kazimir Malevich
Kazimir Malevich was born in Kyiv on February 11 (February 23), 1879. His parents were of Polish origin. His father, Severin, worked as a manager in Kyiv at the plant of the then famous sugar manufacturer Tereshchenko. But according to other data, the father of Kazimir Malevich was the Belarusian folklorist and ethnographer Severin Antonovich Malevich. However, if the identity of the artist’s father raises questions, it is known for certain that Kazimir’s mother, Ludwiga Alexandrovna, was an ordinary housewife.
Fourteen children were born into the family, but only nine survived to adulthood, and Casimir was the eldest among this noisy gang.
He started drawing with light hand to his mother, at the age of fifteen, after she gave her son a set of paints. When Malevich turned seventeen, he studied for some time at the Kievskaya art school N.I. Murashko.
The Malevichs decided to move the whole family to the city of Kursk in 1896. What prompted this decision to move is unknown, but what is known is that Kazimir worked there for some time as some minor official, languishing from routine melancholy.
This could not continue for long, so he finally abandoned his clerk career for painting.
His first paintings were painted under the influence of the French impressionists and, of course, were also created in the style of impressionism. After some time, he became passionate about futurism. He was almost the most active participant in all futurist exhibitions, and even worked on costumes and scenery, in a word, he designed a futurist opera called “Victory over the Sun” in 1913. This performance, held in St. Petersburg, became one of the most important stages in the development of the entire Russian avant-garde.
It was the geometrization of forms and maximum simplification in design that prompted Kazimir Malevich to think about creating a new direction - Suprematism.
Malevich's work
The artist made a revolution, took a step that no one in the world could take before him. He completely abandoned figurativeness, even fragmented figurativeness, which had previously existed in futurism and cubism.
The artist showed his first forty-nine paintings to the world at an exhibition held in Petrograd in 1915 - “0.10”. Under his works, the artist placed a sign: “Suprematism of painting.” Among these paintings was the world-famous “Black Square”, painted in 1914 (?), which caused fierce attacks from critics. However, these attacks do not subside to this day.
The very next year, Kazimir Malevich published a brochure entitled “From Cubism to Suprematism. New pictorial realism,” in which he clearly substantiated his innovation.
Suprematism ultimately had such a huge influence not only on painting, but also on architectural art West and Russia, which brought its creator truly worldwide fame.
Suprematism 
Musical instrument 
Flower girl
Like all artists of a non-standard, “left” movement, Kazimir Malevich was very active during the revolution.
The artist designed the scenery for Vladimir Mayakovsky’s first play “Mystery Bouffe” in 1918; he headed the Art Department of the Moscow Council. When he moved to Petrograd, he headed and taught at the Free Art Workshops.
In the fall of 1919, Casimir went to the city of Vitebsk to teach at the People's Art School, which was organized by Marc Chagall, and which soon transformed into the Art and Practical Institute. He left Vitebsk only in 1922 to return to Petrograd and work at a porcelain factory, invent more and more new forms of painting, and studied the possibilities of using Suprematism in architecture.
In 1932, Malevich achieved the position of head of the Experimental Laboratory at the Russian Museum, where he developed the theory of the “surplus element in painting”, which he had put forward earlier.
In the same year, 1932, Malevich suddenly turned again to traditional realism. Perhaps this was due to the trends of the new time, but, one way or another, Kazimir Malevich was never able to finish this new period of his work. In 1933, he became seriously ill, and two years later, in 1935, he died.
Almost 100 years have passed since Kazimir Malevich created the famous “Black Square”, and the hype around it has not subsided. TO unanimous opinion Exactly how the famous painting was created has not yet been revealed. About the history of the origin of the masterpiece, on this moment, there are two versions: prosaic and mystical.
The prose version tells how Malevich was preparing for a very large exhibition. But circumstances were not in his favor and the artist either did not have time to finish the work, or simply ruined it. And in a panic, not knowing what to do, he grabbed dark paint and painted a black square on top of his work. As a result, the so-called “crackle” effect formed on the canvas - this is when the paint cracks. This is what happens as a result of applying paint to another one that has not dried. It is in such a chaotic location huge amount cracks people find different images.
But the mystical version says that Kazimir worked on this work for more than one month. Through philosophical understanding world, when a certain deep understanding and insight was achieved, and the “Black Square” was created.
After the painting was finally completed, the creator could neither sleep nor eat. As the creator himself wrote, he was busy peering into the mysterious space of the black square. He claimed that he saw in this square what people once saw in the face of God.
Why is this picture known throughout the world? There are few people who don't know about it. Maybe the whole point is that no one had done this before Malevich? Maybe it's just innovation?
But! The thing is that Kazimir Malevich was not the first artist to paint a black square on canvas.
In Paris, in 1882, an exhibition was held called “The Art of the Inconsistents” and the works of six artists took part in the exhibition. The most extraordinary painting was recognized as the work called “Night Fight of Blacks in the Basement” by Paul Bilchod. Guess what was depicted on it? Many artists fail simply because they failed to present their work correctly.
Malevich Kazimir Severinovich was born on February 11 (23), 1878 in rural areas city of Kyiv. Malevich's parents were native Poles. Kazimir's father, Severin Antonovich Malevich, worked as the manager of a sugar factory, owned by one of the well-known entrepreneurs at that time, Tereshchenko. Kazimir's mother, Ludviga Alexandrovna, was simply a heroic woman; she gave birth to 14 children. Unfortunately, only 9 were able to enter independent life. Kazemir Malevich was the eldest: he had 4 brothers and 4 sisters.
At the age of 15, Kazimir got his first set of paints, which his mother gave him. She was a creative woman: she knitted and embroidered.
Because of their father's work, the Malevichs had to frequently move from place to place. Therefore, Kazimir studied in different places, a little bit everywhere. He graduated from the agronomy school (5 classes) in the village of Parkhomovka, studied a little at the Kyiv drawing school of N.I. Murashko.
In 1896, the Malevich family moved again and settled in Kursk. There, in 1899, Malevich and his brother Mieczyslaw married the Zgleitz sisters (Kazimira and Maria). Kazimira gave birth to a son, Anatoly, to Malevich in 1901, and a daughter, Galina, in 1905.
To raise a family, money was needed, and Malevich got a job in the Administration of the Kursk-Moscow Railway. Nevertheless, he does not forget about art. Together with his friend Lev Kvachevsky and other like-minded people, Malevich organized an art group in Kursk. Greater emphasis was placed on working from life. Everything went well, but for Malevich all these processes were too standard, as in all other schools. He wanted something more. Kazimir began to think about a trip to Moscow. He began by applying to study at the Moscow School of Painting, but he was not accepted. Then in 1905 he came to Moscow and began to live in Leforto in an art commune. But the money quickly ran out and he had to return back to Kursk in 1906 and go to work again in the same positions. In the summer, Malevich tried to re-enter the Moscow School, but again failed. In 1907, the family of Kazimira and Kazimir Malevich moved to Moscow, where a third attempt was made to enter the school, but it was not successful.
During this period, Malevich already produced works, mainly in the style of impressionism and neo-impressionism. These are the works "Church", "Spring Landscape". This early works, where there are still many nuances, they are difficult to perceive. But the works “Girl Without Duty”, “Boulevard”, “Flower Girl” and “On the Boulevard” were made in a different style and were written directly from the nature of the actions taking place.
Since Malevich failed to enter the Moscow School, he went to study with Ivan Fedorovich Rerberg in 1905. In Moscow he was a fairly well-known figure in art society. In the period from 1907 to 1910, Malevich regularly exhibited his paintings at the Association's exhibitions.
While studying with Rorberg, Malevich met Ivan Vasilyevich Klyunkov, better known by his nickname Klyun. They became close friends to such an extent that Malevich moved to live with his family in the Klyunkovs’ house.
Malevich tries himself in religious painting. ("Shroud"). Also, together with Klyun, they worked on Sketches for fresco painting in 1907. By 1909, Malevich managed to get a divorce and remarry Sofya Mikhailovna Rafalovich, a children's writer. Her father’s house in Nemchinovka has since become the most expensive place for the writer.
In 1911, Malevich exhibited a lot. In addition to Moscow exhibitions, he also participated in the “Youth Union” exhibition in Peturburg. At the Moscow exhibition "Donkey's Tail" in 1912, Malevich exhibited about 20 of his works. The works amazed with their expressiveness and bright colors. Compositionally and even anatomically, the images and the paintings themselves were completely insane. But Malevich created his own laws and was not going to deviate from them. Then he had a series of works on the theme of the peasantry, executed in his own invented technique of neo-primitivism.
Malevich's works are beginning to more and more resemble futuristic painting, which was called "Cubofuturism" or later "cubism".
In 1912, his painting “The Grinder (The Flickering Principle)” was released, which became a classic example of Cubo-Futurism, Russian of course. Malevich also painted portraits in the same style (Portrait of Klyun, Portrait of Mikhail Matyushkin). Malevich in 1912 met Mikhail Vasilyevich Matyushin, big man in art. Subsequently, this acquaintance would develop into a great friendship, and it also influenced the work of Malevich himself.
In 1913, Malevich worked on the scenery for the futuristic opera play “Victory over the Sun.” In the same year he joined the Youth Union.
Despite Malevich's active work, lack of money was the main hindering factor. Sometimes there wasn’t even enough for drawing materials.
At one point, the artist discovers new facets of painting. The painting “The Cow and the Violin” became such a precursor. Through her, Malevich simply tore apart the old principles of established art. He even wrote the following words on the back of the picture: “An illogical comparison of two forms - “a cow and a violin” - as a moment of struggle with logic, naturalness, petty-bourgeois meaning and prejudices. K. Malevich.” At the St. Petersburg exhibition of 1913, his works were divided into two themes: Cubo-Futuristic Realism and Abstruse Realism.
In 1915, another important event occurred. The futuristic exhibition "Tram B" took place in Petrograd. Malevich exhibited 16 works there.
In 1915, one of the most famous paintings Malevich "Black Square". It was something completely unusual, a black square on a white background. This idea came to Malevich when he was preparing the second edition of the brochure “Victory over the Sun” (it was not published). This drawing resulted in a whole direction, which Malevich later called “suprematism” (suprema - dominant, dominant).
On this occasion, Malevich wrote a small book, “From Cubism to Suprematism,” which was distributed at the vernissage.
On December 17, 1915, the last futuristic exhibition “0, 10” zero-ten took place at the Nadezhda Dobychina Art Bureau.
But Malevich’s friends did not support his idea of Supremativism as the heir of Futurism. They were not ready to take on a completely new direction. In addition, artists forbade Malevich to call his paintings Supremitivism, either in catalogs or at exhibitions.
But Malevich stood his ground. He called his art "New Realism". Distinctive feature Suprematism was that the background of the picture was always a white environment. The image on a white background gave a feeling of depth of space, bottomlessness. Various geometric shapes were depicted against this background, using a pure color technique.
Malevich divided Suprematism into 3 stages: black, colored and white.
Black stage: These are the shapes of square, cross and circle. The painting "Black Square" is considered basic. "Black Cross" and "Black Circle" are therefore the next elements.
Color stage: started with the "Red Square". These are more complex compositions, different combination intricate geometric shapes.
White step: Malevich reached it in 1918. Now he has even removed color from his work.
After October revolution Malevich holds positions in the official bodies of the People's Commissariat of Education. Most of all, he was involved in the development of museums in Russia. He also started studying pedagogical activity, taught at the Moscow Free State Workshops.
In July 1919, Malevich’s great work “On New Systems in Art” was published. By this time, he had already moved to Moscow, leaving his pregnant wife in the Moscow region - a lack of funds forced him. Marc Chagall and Lazar Lissitzky helped him with his work.
In 1927, Malevich made the first trip abroad in his life. First it was Warsaw, then Berlin. Everywhere he performs personal exhibitions. Suddenly, Malevich abruptly leaves for the USSR after receiving a letter, the contents of which are unknown. He even leaves his paintings, planning to return in a year. Apparently then he had a vague premonition that when he left, he would leave a will for the paintings. .jpg)
Arriving at his homeland, Malevich was arrested and kept in custody for several days. Friends somehow manage to rescue the artist. His paintings were also persecuted, fortunately, most survived, even after World War II under the Hitler regime.
For Malevich, the so-called stage of post-suprematism begins. The trip abroad gave him A New Look, new ideas, because before that he wanted to leave painting, believing that Suprematism was the end point in this direction. New works appear. Among them is the painting "Girls in the Field", painted in 1912. The inscription “Supranaturilism” was written on the stretcher of the painting. Malevich in his new term combined the early concepts of “Naturalism” and “Suprematism”. He writes again peasant theme, only in a new style. Now the images of people have become faceless: instead of faces there are simply various ovals. The paintings contain more emotions, tragedy and at the same time heroism and greatness.
After 1927, Malevich often changed jobs. Work was not going well, I had to travel a lot. He even had to go to Kyiv to teach. In Ukraine they loved the artist, they even wrote about him in newspapers, a whole series of stories.
Turned 30 in 1928 creative work Malevich. He began preparing a personal exhibition at the Tretyakov Gallery. This turned out to be a large-scale and spectacular project.
In Kyiv in 1930, his personal exhibition took place, but it received harsh criticism. After this, Malevich was arrested again and sent to prison for several weeks.
In 1933 he was overtaken by incurable disease. Malevich died in 1935. He was buried, as he had bequeathed, in Nemchinovka near an oak tree. Bul has a monument in the form of a cube with a black square.