The works of Russian artists of the early 20th century seem strange and incomprehensible today. Flat clumsy figures, sometimes similar to the drawings of a child, many lines and spots, buying up a palette of colors - this is the Russian avant-garde.
How it all began
By the beginning of the 20th century, painting, like many other types of art, had reached such a high level that many began to think: this is the highest point, there is nowhere to develop further. Simply put, artists are tired of painting nature and portraits in traditional proportions and colors. In the wake of such sentiments, they began to look for some new ways, forms, ways. And, as is often the case in such periods, they began by denying previous experience. The Symbolists believed that it was necessary to depict not reality, but the feelings of a person. The Impressionists, on the contrary, denied any meaning, and considered only the form important, decomposing it into the simplest geometric shapes and recognizing only the basic colors - yellow, red and blue. And someone was looking for the truth in primitive folk art.
This gave rise to many trends in European art of the early 20th century. All together they began to be called the avant-garde, that is, the advanced, new. The paintings of this genre are characterized by innovation and shocking of the viewer.
The most poignant and varied was the Russian avant-garde. He went the farthest in his denials, but he was also the most fruitful. Now the paintings of the legendary Russian avant-garde artists are sold at world auctions for millions of dollars.
Famous Russian avant-garde artists and their paintings
Wassily Kandinsky is called the founder of abstract art. His non-objective painting has unusual names, thus he wanted to emphasize the absence of a plot. Yes, his works had no plot, but at the same time they can hardly be called empty. Among his famous paintings: "Yellow-Red-Blue", "Composition", "Oscillation", "Twilight". Most of Kandinsky's paintings were barbarously destroyed by the Nazis during the Great Patriotic War. The Nazis considered them "degenerate art". Now Kandinsky's paintings are presented in renowned museums around the world.
Kazimir Malevich is another prominent representative of the Russian avant-garde. His name is associated with the painting "Black Square". However, this is not his only and far from the best creation. Rather, the painting was a sharp refusal of the artist from a naturalistic depiction of objects. He created a special style in painting - Suprematism, which put color and geometric shapes in the first place. The list of his famous paintings: "Black Cross on a Red Oval", "Landscape with Two Figures", "Red Square".
Vladimir Tatlin is a prominent figure in the history of the Russian avant-garde. For him, the shapes of real objects, people were important. At the same time, he simplified both color and proportions. His paintings are often compared to ancient Russian painting. Among his famous works is The Sailor. The painting is painted in four colors: dark yellow, blue, black and pink. Tatlin considered Picasso to be his teacher.
