BiographyNatalya Sergeevna Goncharova was born in Negaevo village Central Russia on June

16th 1881.She grew up on her grandparents estate at Ladyzhino in the province of

Tula,the countryside and peasant culture by which she was surrounded had a

profound effect on her which was to stay with her until adulthood and affect her art in later life. She came from a family with distinguished connections , as the great

niece of Pushkin’s wife, also Natalya Goncharova, and the daughter of an

architect she grew up in an environment where artistic culture was embraced and creativity welcomed .During her younger

years she studied a wide variety of subjects including history, zoology and botany , after her schooling she even enrolled on a medical course but only

lasted a week before realising her talents lay in the arts.

Mikhail Larionov

Portrait of Natalia Goncharova 1915

It was then, in 1898, that she enrolled at the Moscow School of Painting , Sculpture and Architecture to study sculpture under the tutelage of Prince Pavel Trubetskoi , a disciple of Rodin.  It was here that she met the young

painter Mikhail Larionov (1881 - 1964), he was to become from that moment , her lifelong partner personally and artistically .

Mikhail Larionov (1881-1964) and Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962) were lifelong

partners in romance and in art. The two were considered to be at the forefront of

Russian art in the early 1900s. Although Larionov and Goncharova experimented

with the same styles and were active in the same circles, Goncharova is generally

accepted to be the better artist.

Natalia Goncharova: Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism

It was under the influence of Larionov

that Goncharova was truly able to

develop as an artist , he had a major

impact encouraging her to convert to

painting in 1901. Apparently he told her 

"You have eyes for colour but you occupy

yourself with form. Open your eyes to

your own eyes." Goncharova said " I

suddenly realised that painting could do

everything that sculpture could not."

After her formal art training in 1903 from which she graduated with a

gold/silver medal , painting became her main priority and along with

Larionov she started to make her presence felt within the art world.

During the early years of her career Goncharova’s work was influenced by contemporary French art , to the extent that initially she painted in an

impressionist style .

Gauguin , Matisse and Cezanne were also significant figures for Goncharova at this time but she soon used these elements , along with many others , to

develop her own distinctive art .

White tablecloth

There are examples of work in the fauvist and cubist manner which

illustrates the degree to which she was prepared to experiment and how

western art sowed the seeds for her own artistic development.

Shearing Sheep. 1907.

'Pillars of Salt,' 1908

Fishmonger. 1909

Fishing. 1909

Fishing, 1909Museo Thyssen-Bornemisza

Madrid

Flowers and Peppers. 1909

Picking Apples 1909

)$9,801,988!!! (

The tradition of Russian icon art also greatly interested her with its flat inexpressive forms and stylish use of colour. Later on she was to strongly renounce the art of

western Europe , she harshly criticised it while exalting the art of the east claiming that it was the east which set the precedent for the advances of western art. From

there on she would look to eastern art , particularly that of her native country.

Planting Potatoes  1909

The boy with a cock, 1900-1913National Gallery of Armenia, Yerevan, Armenia

Les lutteurs, 1910

Centre Georges Pompidou

Peasants dancing 1910-11National Gallery of Australia, Canberra

The Weaver, 1910National Museums and Galleries of Wales

However, Goncharova also recognised the beauty in established Russian traditions and was able to take

elements of these and breath new life into them . Goncharova was particularly enamoured by the art of her own country , she revelled in various aspects of Russian folk art such as the lubok (an old woodcut print), peasant

costumes and folk decoration of trays , signs etc. The primitive , naive forms , the vivid juxtapositions of

colour, the simple peasant subject matter and its lack of theoretical pretences all appealed to her and left an

indelible mark.

Illustration for "The Song of Igor's Campaign"

(An Old Russian legend(

Goncharova drew inspiration for

some of her works from Russian

folk art and Russian icons. She

is the author of a series of

religious works and icon-like

paintings. Goncharova was also

involved with graphic design -

writing and illustrating a book in

Futurist style

Frost, 1910-11

Autumn. 1910

Haycutting, 1910

Moscow Winter. 1910

Goncharova though was still the first to recognise that contemporary western art;  Impressionism , Post - Impressionism , Fauvism , Cubism and Futurism did have a great significance on her own work. They opened her eyes to things that she would not have previously been open to, for example she was intrigued by Gauguin’s return to naive , primitive forms . It was in fact the west which made her appreciate Russian vernacular

art.

Gauguin Goncharova

Here the influence of Gauguin on Natalya is clear ; as Gauguin uses his own image as that of Christ Goncharova uses the figure of Larionov , while Gauguin portrays Breton

peasants surrounding Christ Goncharova depicts the Russian peasantry . Both Gauguin and Goncharova idealise the peasantry as pious and humble , proclaiming that

to be the typical.

Scene in an Orchard    1908

It was with Goncharova’s emphatic declaration of her adherence to Russian art forms of the

past and their characteristics that she developed the type of art with which she was

most successful in , Neo-primitivism. Realising the significance and value of the artistic

traditions of her native country , she brought those elements into a specifically modern

context, whilst retaining its inherent Russian-ness , this is what she wanted. It would

however be wrong to think that Goncharova completely discarded her interest in western art, a significant talent of hers was recognise

the potential of certain aspects and then combine them into an eclectic mix. Her

willingness to do this and not to discount any other art forms is shown in her use of every kind of visual device which was available, hence the fact that she produced work in a multitude of forms; sculpture, painting, set

designs, costume designs , book illustrations and prints she even illustrated musical scores.

The Bread Seller. 1911

Lion. 1911. From the series "Vintage".

Feasting Peasants. 1911. From the series "Vintage".

Drying the Laundry. 1911

Portrait of M.Larionov and His Platoon Commander.

1911

Jews. The Shabbat. 1912

Rabbi with Cat, about 1912

Jewish Family 1912

Jews on a Street 1913

After contributing to various exhibitions such as "The Golden Fleece",

Goncharova and Larionov formed "The Knave of Diamonds Group" in 1910. His

was a group of young avant-garde artists who were influenced by the early cubism

of Picasso and Braque and the bright colours used by the fauvists. However, it was during this time that Goncharova and

Larionov became disenchanted with contemporary western art and resented the reliance of the rest of the group on western models , therefore they broke

away to organise an opposed group "The Donkey’s Tail". The one and only

exhibition they held under this title illustrates Goncharova’s interest in icon

art , the religious subject matter she adopted within a modern context was

seen as scandalous and caused uproar.

Goncharova and Larionov played an important role in the Russian avant- garde and were extremely important in organising exhibitions and groups according to their ideas. In 1913 Goncharova held her enormous one-woman exhibition in Moscow displaying a

portfolio of 736 works despite the infancy of her career.

The Cyclist, 1912-1913

Russian State Museum, St. Petersburg

Electric Lamps, 1912Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris

The green and yellow forest. A Rayonism Construction. 1912.

The State Russian Museum

Mikhail Larionov Red Rayonism 1913

Rayonism (or Rayonnism) is a style

of abstract art that developed in

Russia in 1911.

Mikhail Larionov and Natalia

Goncharova developed rayonism

after hearing a series of lectures

about Futurism by Marinetti in

Moscow. The Futurists took speed,

technology and modernity as their

inspiration, depicting the dynamic

character of early 20th century life.

They glorified war and the machine

age, and favoured the growth of

Fascism.

Cats in rose, black, and yellow 1913Guggenheim Museum, New York City

The Rayonists sought an art that floated beyond abstraction, outside of time and space, and to break the barriers between the artist and the public. They derived the name from

the use of dynamic rays of contrasting color, representing lines of reflected light — crossing of reflected rays from various objects.

At the 1913 Target exhibition they introduced the style to the public. In their literature they described Rayonism as naturally encompassing all existing styles and forms of

the art of the past, as they, like life, are simply points of departure for a Rayonist perception and construction of a picture.

The Forest, 1913

Rayonist Landscape 1913

Together they pioneered two key movements: Neo-primitivism and Rayonism. Neo-primitivism incorporated Russian primitive folk art with elements of cubism and

futurism, while Rayonism was a style beyond abstraction, time and space, heavily relying on the use of rays of light reflected from objects .

Portrait of Larionov, 1913

Factory. 1912

The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg

The Plane over the Train. 1913

Spanish Woman. 1916

Still Life with a Marble BoyThe State Russian Museum,

St.Petersburg

A Woman with a Cigarette

A Christ-Loving Host. 1914. From the series "Mystical Images of War".

The Doomed Town. 1914. From the series "Mystical Images of War".

Angels and Airplanes. 1914. From the series "Mystical Images of War".

Then in 1914 Serge Diaghilev commisioned Goncharova to design his opera-ballet "Le Coq d’Or". It was the beginning of a close relationship between

Goncharova and Larionov with the exiled ballet company The Ballets Russes . She designed a number of productions for him including "Triana", "Rhapsodie

Espagnole", "Liturgie" and "Les Noces" , but "Le Coq d’Or" was her most successful and notable foray into the world of theatrical design. Through the travel of Diaghilev’s company Goncharova and Larionov encountered various cultures and artistic stimulation, the culture of Spain in particular was to have

a long lasting effect on Natalya.

"Les Noces"

Stage backcloth for the Wedding Scene in The Firebird, After Natalia Goncharova 1926from Diaghilev and the Golden Age of the Ballets Russes 1909-1929

Goncharova was a member of the Der Blaue Reiter avant-garde group from

its founding in 1911. In 1915, she began to design ballet costumes and sets

in Geneva. Her designs for the ballet Liturgy: Six Winged Seraph,Angel, St.

Andrew, St. Mark, Nativity etc. were started in 1915. The Liturgy was

commissioned by Diaghilev with Goncharova, Léonide Massine and Igor

Stravinsky. She moved to Paris in 1921 where she designed a number of

stage sets of Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes. She also shows at the

Salon d'Automne in 1921, and participates regularly at the Salon des

Tuileries and the Salon des Indépendants. She became a French citizen in

1939.

Goncharova died in Paris, in 1962.

Her work is held in the Museum of Modern Art.

Curtain for the Opera-Ballet "The Golden Cock". 1914. Music by N.Rimsky-Korsakov. Choreography by M.Fokin, performed by S.Diagilev's Ballets Russes

(Theatre National de l'Opera, Paris, May 1914).

Costume design for a bride in Diaghilev "Les Noces"

Design for Act 1 of Le Coq d'Or , c.1914. Diaghilev's Ballet Russes

Cherub. 1915. Costume design for ballet "Lithurgy".

Spiritual music

Zuleika with Servants. 1924. Drawing for program of stage Shadow Theatre "Karaguez" ("Theatre des Petites Comediants des Boix de

Julie Sazonova"), Paris

Space 1957

Finally though they settled in Paris both

producing a huge body of work in varying media.

Goncharova did in fact produce theatre sets for

productions independent of Diaghilev , for

example "Cinderella" 1938 for Colonel de Basil,

"The Barber of Seville" etc, but they were not to

have the same significance as her previous

designs. Goncharova’s neo-primitivist works are

widely regarded as the highlight of her career ,

and its theory was that which was to touch her

most. However, this did not prevent her from

experimenting , at the end of her life for example

she produced work influenced by the recent

space explorations by her native country men.

She died in Paris in 1962.

מקורות:

http://www.hatii.arts.gla.ac.t/gonch.

http://bjws.blogspot.com/2011/06/women-artists-russian-artist-natalia.html

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Natalia_Goncharova

http://nataliagoncharova.herobo.com/nataliagoncharova

http://web.grinnell.edu/courses/tut/F01/TUT100-04

http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/goncharova

http://oseculoprodigioso.blogspot.com/2007/07

http://www.russianavantgard.com/artists_j

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rayonism

Music: Schoenberg, piano suite Op 25, Maurizio Pollini

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