GONCHAROVA Natalia Sergeevna

June 21, 1881 (Nagaevo, Tula province) — October 17, 1962 (Paris, buried in Ivry)

Painter, graphic artist, scene-designer, master of decorative and applied arts

Goncharova came from a noble family; she was great grandniece of A. S. Pushkin’s wife N. N. Goncharova. In 1892 Goncharova and her father (architect and mathematician) moved to Moscow. Goncharova finished gymnasium, visited historical courses. In 1901 she entered Moscow School of painting, sculpture and architecture (MUZhVZ); studied at sculpture class under S. M. Volnukhin and P. P. Trubetskoy, later she studied painting in the workshop of K. A. Korovin. In 1904 Goncharova was awarded small silver medal for animal sketches in clay. In the same year she left studies due to her poor health.

At MUZhVZ Goncharova met M. F. Larionov. Soon he married her. In 1903 Goncharova and Larionov traveled to the Crimea; it gave rise to impressionistic period in creative work of Goncharova. Then she exposed the Crimea watercolors in the exhibitions of MUZhVZ, Moscow Literature society (1904), Moscow Association of Artists (1905), at the Russian department of Paris Autumn Salon (1906).

In 1906 Goncharova left impressionism; she was interested in cubism and fauvism, and then she began to paint in primitive style. In her works of the second half of 1900s — the beginning of 1910s, Goncharova tried to combine traditions of the Russian lubok, posters, and icons with the latest avant-garde trends.

In 1911 Goncharova began to paint in futuristic style. She illustrated futuristic editions: Sadok Sudey-2 (“A Trap for Judges”, 1913); editions by A. E. Kruchenykh and V. V. Khlebnikov: Starinnaia Liubov (“Old-Fashioned Love”), Mirskontsa (“Worldbackwords”), Igra v adu (“A Game in Hell”), Vzorval (“Explodity”, 1912–1913); editions by K. A. Bolshakov: Le futur (1913). In 1914 Goncharova published album with lithographs Mystical images of war.

Goncharova and Larionov developed new style in art — rayonism. Goncharova was one of the organizers of startling exhibitions of groups Bubnovy Valet (“Jack of Diamonds”, 1910–1911), Osliniy khvost (“Donkey’s Tail”, 1912), Mishen (“The Target”, 1913), No 4. Futurists. Rayonists. Primitive (1914). Goncharova participated in collective avant-garde exhibitions: Stefanos in Moscow (1907–1908), Zveno (“Link”) in Kiev (1908), Salon of V. A. Izdebsky (1909–1910, 1911), the exhibition of the Union of Youth in St. Petersburg (1910), Der Blaue Reiter (“The Blue Rider”) in Munich (1912), Der Sturm (“Storm”) in Berlin (1912). Goncharova exposed her works in the exhibitions of the group Mir Iskusstva (“World of Art”) in 1911–1913; since 1916 she became a member of this society. Personal exhibitions of Goncharova were held in Moscow (1911, 1913) and in St. Petersburg (1914).

Since 1909 Goncharova worked in the theatre; she designed the performance Die Hochzeit der Sobeide by H. von Hofmannstahl in private studio of K. Kraft in Moscow. Goncharova designed the ballet The Golden Cockerel by N. A. Rimsky-Korsakov for S. Dyagilev’s enterprise in Paris (1913), performance The Fan by C. Goldoni for Moscow Chamber Opera Theatre (1915). In 1911–1915 Goncharova was engaged in applied arts; she made sculptures, panels, decorative friezes for private mansions in Moscow.

In 1915 S. Dyagilev invited Goncharova to work as a set designer for Russian seasons and Goncharova left Russia. In 1915–1918 she lived in Switzerland, Italy, Spain, and France; since 1918 she lived in Paris. For Dyagilev’s enterprise Goncharova designed ballets Russian fairy tales by A. K. Lyadov, Spainby M. Ravel, Night at Bald Mountain by M. P. Mussorgsky, Les Noces and The Firebird by I. F. Stravinsky.

Abroad Goncharova was engaged in easel painting and graphic art. She published album with pochoirs Theatre portraits (1915–1916). Goncharova exposed her works at the Autumn Salon, Salon of Independents and Salon Tuileries. She participated in exhibitions of Russian art abroad, international exhibitions in Rome (1923), Dresden (1926), and Bordeaux (1927).

In 1930s–1940s Goncharova created scene and costume designs for many theatres of Europe and America: Sorochinsky Fair by Mussorgsky (Buenos Aires, 1932), The Tale of Tsar Saltan by Rimsky-Korsakov (Kaunas, 1932), Paris Life by J. Offenbach (New York, 1933), Mephisto Waltz by F. Liszt (Paris, 1935), The Barber of Seville by G. Rossini (London, 1948) and others.

Personal exhibitions of Goncharova were held in Rome (1918), in Paris (1918–1920, 1926, 1931, 1939, 1948, 1952, 1956, 1958), in New York (1923), in London (1926), Milan and Bale (1961). Big retrospective exhibitions of works of Goncharova and Larionov were organized in London (1961) and in Paris (1963). In 1968 the exhibition of Goncharova’s pastels was held in the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts.

Natalia Goncharova was an outstanding artist of the first half of the 20th century; she was one of the most significant figures of Russian avant-garde. There were some periods in her creative work: impressionism (1903–1906), primitivism (1906–1911), futurism (1911–1912), and rayonism (1912–1913). Later she painted in different styles, but preferred primitivism elements. Sometimes Goncharova returned to themes and motifs from her early creative work. Stylization, contrasting colors, naïve perspective and proportions were characteristic to her theatre works.

Works by Natalia Goncharova are in many museum collections, including the State Tretyakov Gallery, the State Russian Museum, the Pushkin State Museum of Fine Arts, A. A. Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum, the Pompidou Center in Paris and others.