UDALTSOVA Nadezhda Andreevna

January 11, 1886 (Orel) — January 25, 1961 (Moscow)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer

Since 1892 Nadezhda Udaltsova lived in Moscow. In 1905 she entered the private studio of C. F. Yuon, studied under the guidance of I. O. Dudin and N. P. Ulyanova. In 1908–1909 she made a trip to Germany. Udaltsova also studied at the Carol Kish School in Moscow. Since 1911 she together with L. S. Popova and V. M. Khodasevich worked in the V. E. Tatlin’s studio in Ostozhenka.         

In 1912–1913 Udaltsova attended studio in the Palette Academy in Paris, studied under H. Le Fauconnier and J. Metzinger. After returing to Moscow she worked in the V. E. Tatlin’s studio again. In the studio she met K. S. Malevich, A. V. Grishchenko, and A. A. Vesnin. In 1914 Udaltsova took part in the exhibition of the group Bubnovy Valet (“Jack of Diamonds”) in Moscow. She participated in many avant-garde exhibitions, including Tramway V and 0.10. In 1916 Udaltsova designed performances in the N. F. Baliev cabaret theatre Die Fledermaus (“The Bat”) in Paris. In her art Udaltsova was interested in suprematism. In 1916–1917 she was a member of the society Supremus. She painted in non-figurative style.

After revolution Udaltsova lectured at the First State Free Art Studios (1918–1920), at the Higher State Artistic and Technical Workshops (VKhUTEMAS, 1921–1927), at the Higher Art Technical Institute (VKhUTEIN, 1927–1930), at Moscow State Textile Institute (1930–1932) and at Moscow Polygraphic Institute (1932–1934).

In 1917–1918 Udaltsova helped G. B. Yakulov to design the café Pittoresque in Moscow. In 1920s she became good friends with the artists of the group Bubnovy Valet again. Udaltsova returned to the figurative painting. In 1920 the painter A. D. Drevin married her. She took part in many exhibitions in the Soviet Russia and abroad, including the First Russian art exhibition in Berlin (1922). Since 1928 Udaltsova was a member of the Society of Moscow artists. In the same year the common exhibition of Drevin’s and Udaltsova’s works was held in the halls of the State Russian Museum in Leningrad. In 1931 she together with Drevin participated in the exhibition of the group Trinadtsat (“Thirteen”).

In 1926–1928 Udaltsova made a trip to the Urals, in 1930 — to Altai, in 1933–1934 — to Armenia.

In 1945 the personal exhibition of Udaltsova was held in Moscow.

Nadezhda Udaltsova was one of the Amazons of the Russian avant-garde. She was engaged in easel painting and graphic art (she created graphical works mainly in her last period of art in 1930s–1950s). She rarely worked with other arts; although she was engaged in scene design, in late 1910s she created designs for fabrics.

Art style of Udaltsova was formed under the influence of Munich school on the one hand and the French art of the beginning of the 20th century on the other. However, the Tatlin’s constructivism and Malevich’s suprematism had the most profound effect on Udaltsova.

Works by Nadezhda Udaltsova are in collections of many Russian museums, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, and the State Russian Museum.