Artist: Natalia Goncharova

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Artist: Natalia Goncharova

Biography: Natalia Goncharova is famous for her renowned works, specifically her paintings. In 1881, Goncharova was born in Navaego, a part of the Tula Governorate in Russia. She was born into luxury, her family was considered of the noble class, and she was a descendant of the great Russian poet Alexander Pushkin. Her father, Sergei, worked as an architect and her mother, Ekaterina, came from a long line of music influencers and religious figures. Natalia lived in the country during her childhood, which proved to be very significant because she developed a long-lasting admiration for nature. Early on in her adolescence, she moved to Moscow, Russia’s capital, because of financial troubles and educational opportunities. …show more content…

The couple formed a similar group called the Donkey’s Tail. It was more radical and included famous artists like Marc Chagall. While she was involved in this group, she was heavily inspired by her love for the Orthodox Church. Despite her devotion, she was condemned by the church for living with a man but being unmarried. Goncharova was aware of these complaints but continued to go against the church by wearing men’s clothing and occasionally going topless with art on her chest. She could be considered an early feminist because she was “merging art making and daily life to challenge social expectations” (1). One of the most important aspects of her life was developing the art movement of Rayonism, which is a type of abstract art.

After the Russian Revolution, the couple moved to Paris permanently, where they lived for many years. There she became involved in stage productions and designed numerous sets. Her and Larionov finally married in 1955. They lived together in Paris for the rest of their days, when Natalia died from Rheumatoid Arthritis at age 81. Currently, she remains relevant as one of the most expensive female …show more content…

The first painting, Flowers, is an example of her experimentation with cubism. Cubo - Futurism was a combination of cubist shapes and Italian Futurism’s emphasis on speed and motion. This can be seen through the use of skewed angles and bent shapes. In the next painting, Goncharova took inspiration from the previously mentioned Matisse. This style was called Fauvism and was recognizable for its “wild brush work and strident colors” (Source 2). The fourth painting, the still life, can also be related to Fauvism because the Post-Impressionism movement is thought of like its father, an earlier precursor. The fifth painting, the motifs, resembles these previous works of Natalia’s but also showcases work influenced by her relationship to the Russian Orthodox Church. Most importantly, there is the painting Rayonist Lilies, which is from the movement Rayonism, which Goncharova and her husband pioneered. This movement is characterized by attempting to “[float] beyond abstraction, out of time and space, and to break the barriers between the artist and the public” (Source 6). Rayonism was a huge step in a more freeform art community in Russia, who would eventually come to appreciate abstract

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