Goncharova Natalia Sergeevna

Russian Russian painter, graphic artist, theater artist, book illustrator, Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova is one of the representatives of the Russian avant—garde. Together with Mikhail Larionov, he is a co—author of the theory of luchism, one of the directions of abstract painting.

Biography

She came from the noble Goncharov family. His father is Sergey Mikhailovich Goncharov, an architect and mathematician. Mother is Ekaterina Ilyinichna Belyaeva, the daughter of a professor at the Moscow Theological Academy. She was born in the Ladyzhino estate in the Tula province, where she spent her childhood. In 1891, the family moved to Moscow.

In 1898, she graduated from the IV Women's Gymnasium with a silver medal. Then she studied for six months at the Faculty of History of the Higher Women's Courses, and in 1901 she entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture in the sculpture department in the class of Pavel Trubetskoy.

At the college, Goncharova met the artist Mikhail Larionov, who told her: "You have eyes for color, and you are busy with form. Open your eyes to your own eyes!" Under his influence, the artist began to create impressionist paintings and switched to a painting course with Konstantin Korovin. However, Goncharova continued to practice sculpture. So, in 1904, she received a small silver medal for animal studies.

In 1938, she and Mikhail Larionov took French citizenship. In Paris, Goncharova survived the German occupation.

In 1955, Goncharova and Larionov officially registered their marriage so that in the event of the death of one of them, the work would remain in the family. In 1961, Natalia Goncharova became seriously ill and stopped leaving her apartment. She died on October 17, 1962 in Paris. The artist was buried at the cemetery in Ivry-sur-Seine.

After Goncharova's death, the Paris Museum of Modern Art organized a retrospective exhibition in her honor.

Creation

In 1903, Goncharova's paintings were acquired by collectors A.I. Morozov and N.P. Ryabushinsky. In 1906, she began to paint in the style of primitivism, following the theme of peasant art. She painted the paintings "Mother", "Round Dance", "Bread harvesting", "Evangelists".

Since 1911, she has worked in the spirit of futurism. Together with Larionov, she developed the theory of rayism. She illustrated the books by futurists V.V. Khlebnikov and A.E. Kruchenykh "The Game in Hell", "The World of the Congregation", A.E. Kruchenykh "Hermits" and "Hermitesses" (1912), S.P. Bobrov "Windblowers over Vines" (1913). She published a series of lithographs "Mystical Images of War" (1914).

Together with Larionov, she was one of the organizers of the first exhibition "Jack of Diamonds" (1910), exhibitions "Donkey's Tail" (1912), "Target" (1913), "No. 4. Futurists, Luchists, primitive" (1914).

In 1914, at the invitation of S.P. Diaghilev in Paris, she participated in the design of the opera and ballet "The Golden Cockerel" to the music of N.A. Rimsky-Korsakov. She lived in Switzerland and Italy from 1915, and in Paris from 1919. One of the leading decorators of the S.P. Diaghilev's Russian Ballet (1914-1929).

She completed sketches of decorations and costumes for the ballets "Liturgy" (to the music of Orthodox hymns), "The Wedding" by I.F. Stravinsky (1915), "Spanish Rhapsody" by M. Ravel (1916). She created a series of paintings "Spaniards", "Cosmos", illustrated books "The Word about Igor's Regiment" (1923), "Fairy Tales" by N.V. Kodrianskaya (1950).

Goncharova's first solo exhibition abroad opened in June 1931.

Interesting facts

Goncharova was the great—grandniece of Natalia Goncharova, the wife of Alexander Pushkin.

In 1913, Goncharova's exhibition became the largest solo exhibition of the 20th century and glorified the artist.

In 2007, Goncharova's painting "Picking apples" (1909) was sold at auction in London for 4 million 948 thousand pounds (almost 10 million dollars). In 2010, the painting "The Spaniard" (1916) was sold for 6 million 425 thousand 250 pounds (about 10 million US dollars) — this is a record price for the work of a female artist at that time.

Goncharova is one of the most faked artists: several hundred fake paintings of Goncharova are known.