Lyubov Popova

description

A Russian artist, graphic artist, designer, stage designer, a major avant-garde master, whose short creative career evolved in the revolutionary era. Lyubov Popova participated in the practical embodiment of the three most important styles – cubism, suprematism and constructivism, wrote programs for students. In 2009, the Tate Gallery in London reconstructed the exhibition “5 x 5 = 25” (Moscow, 1921), organized by the artist along with like-minded people, as the most important for understanding the development of the Russian avant-garde. In 2012, one of the craters of Mercury was named in honor of Popova.

Key ideas:

– Having gone through several stages in her work in a short time, Lyubov Popova paved the way from Cezannism characteristic of so many Russian artists of the early 20th century to Cubism, Suprematism and Constructivism. The world in the perception of the artist, as art critics say, was like a huge still life, creating which she gave special attention to the “sounding colours” and expressive lines.

– In the paintings created in the first half of the 1910s, we can see how he followed the traditions of Fauvism (in the Russian variant, it is called “Cezannism”) and Analytical Cubism. Endowed with a natural artistic flair, Lyubov Popova treated selected image objects with courage – she divided them into segments, unfolded them from different angles, and connected them to the background space. There are many figures on the canvases; they are intricately intertwined, but the violin and the image of the pianist are easy to distinguish. Later Lyubov Sergeyevna departed from this manner and briefly preferred Synthetic Cubism, more dynamic Cubofuturism, and then absolutely pointless Suprematism. In this style, the artist created the cycle “Picturesque architectonics”, which differs from the works of Malewicz, the ideologist of Suprematism, in a large variety of colourful rhythms.

– A recognizable feature of the Russian avant-garde artist was her addiction to the Italian Renaissance and the Slavic icon. Cubist and cubo-futuristic techniques did not prevent her from introducing her favorite motifs inspired by Giotto and national iconography into her canvases and graphics. Moreover, the artist’s non-figurative works, “spatial-force constructions” and “pictorial constructions”, also reflected the classical style. Centuries-old traditions did not disappear from the works of Popova even at a time when, leaving the easel painting, she was engaged in scenography and the production of fabrics.

– The artist’s passion for Constructivism made her leave painting and deny easel art. She turned her considerable energy into production activities, worked at a Moscow print factory. But she believed that colour and the interaction of colour planes are an independent formative tool even in this last period of her creative career.

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1889

1906

1910

1912 - 1913

1914

1915 - 1918

1918

1919

1920 - 1921

1922 - 1923

1924

The birth of the artist

She was born on May 6 in an educated and wealthy merchant family in the estate of Krasnovidovo (Ivanovo village near Moscow). Her father was a big fan of theater and music. Her mother and the family friend, artist K. M. Orlov, educated the girl at home.

She attended the school of painting and drawing of K. Yuon

After graduating from the Moscow gymnasium, she attended the general education courses of A.S. Alferova. Lyubov was fond of drawing. She studied at the studio of S. Zhukovsky. From 1908, she attended the school of painting and drawing of K. Yuon, where she met A. Vesnin, L. Prudkovskaya, V. Mukhina and V. Pestel. Vesnin became one of her close friends. She painted landscapes and genre scenes in a rather traditional manner.

She visited Italy

She visited Italy together with her parents, became interested in the early Renaissance, especially in the painting of Giotto so much that went to Novgorod, Pskov and Kyiv to learn ancient Russian painting after returning home. She got a new artistic hobby, which was her interest in the paintings by M. Vrubel, who at that time also studied the artistic legacy of the representatives of Renaissance.

Became student of Cubists Fauconnier and Metzinger

Attending meetings at the Moscow “Ivanov Tower”, she met V. Tatlin and other Russian avant-garde artists, which influenced her decision to continue art education in France. Moreover, together with N. Udaltsova, Popova was interested in French art collected by S. Schukin. In Paris, the friends became students of Cubists Fauconnier and Metzinger, met A. Exter.

Popova visited the studio of Tatlin

Having returned to Moscow, Popova visited the studio of Tatlin, where she organized the “Cubist Circle” together with Udaltsova; presented her paintings at the exhibition of the Jack of Diamonds, visited France and Italy a second time, where Giotto attracted her attention again.

Became a participant in both futuristic group exhibitions: "Tram B" and "0.10"

Became a participant in both futuristic group exhibitions: “Tram B” and “0.10”; carried away by the ideas of Suprematism, she joined Malevich’s group “Supremus” and created the series “Picturesque Architectonics”. The artist visited Samarkand to get acquainted with Islamic architecture and its geometric ornaments.

Married Boris von Eding

Married Boris von Eding, a talented art historian. The couple got a son. This did not prevent the artist from conducting active creative work: she carried out classes at the State Free Art Workshops according to a new program for the presentation of color disciplines compiled together with A. Vesnin. She was a member of the Federation of the Union of Moscow Artists.

Started to collaborate with the Verbovka enterprise

Started to collaborate with the Verbovka enterprise, organized by the Supremus participant N. Davydova, and made sketches of embroideries and appliqués. She lost her husband who died of typhus and suffered typhoid fever too.

She worked at the department of monumental art of the Institute of Artistic Culture

She worked at the department of monumental art of the Institute of Artistic Culture under the leadership of Kandinsky. Participated in the creation of the Museum of pictorial culture, in preparing the program for a group of objective analysis. Developed the full design of the play “Romeo and Juliet” (Chamber Theater). She approached the Constructivists by writing the cycles “Picturesque Structures” (1920) and “Spatial-Force Structures” (1921).

Created constructivism-style scenography

Created constructivism-style scenography for the avant-garde theater of V. Meyerhold (“The Magnanimous Cuckold”), which caused controversy with like-minded people who believed that Constructivism was not ready to leave the laboratory and experimental period and go to masses. This did not stop the artist; she designed the play “Earth on end” for Meyerhold.

The death

On May 23, the son of Popova died of scarlet fever. Two days later, on May 25, the artist herself died from the same virus. She was buried in Moscow at the Vagankovsky cemetery. In December, her friends and colleagues organized a large personal exhibition-memorial of paintings and graphic works by the artist.