Experts from the Tretyakov Gallery discovered that Kazimir Malevich’s 1915 painting “Black Square” was painted on a canvas that previously contained two images. In addition, art historians were able to read the author’s inscription on the painting.
“It was known that under the Black Square there was some underlying image. We found out that there are not one, but two such images.
And they proved that the original image is a cubo-futurist composition, and that lying under the “Black Square,” the color of which you see in the craquelure, is a proto-Suprematist composition,” Ekaterina Voronina, a researcher at the State Tretyakov Gallery’s department of scientific expertise, told the Kultura TV channel.
She also reported that, together with her colleagues Irina Rustamova and Irina Vakar, she managed to decipher the inscription on the “Black Square,” which is considered the author’s.
The inscription reads: “The battle of the blacks in the dark cave.”
This phrase refers to the title of the painting by the French journalist, writer and artist Alphonse Allais, “The Battle of Negroes in a Dark Cave in the Dead of Night,” written in 1882 and representing a completely black rectangle.
“Malevich has a complex, intricate handwriting and some letters are written the same way: “n”, “p” and even “i” in some texts are very close in spelling. We are working on the second word. But you can all see in the exhibition that the first word is “Battle,” Voronina explained.
“Black Square” is the most mythologized work of fine art of the 20th century. His interpretations are innumerable. One thing is certain: the painting is perceived as an aesthetic manifesto of an entire generation of artists and as a symbol of the most important aesthetic era.
Malevich himself answered questions about the meaning and meaning of “Square”, as they say, evasively. He said that he himself did not expect such an effect and did not quite clearly understand what all this could mean.
These words prompted some researchers to think about the supernatural, mystical origin of the pictorial symbol.
However, it is believed that the image of a black square first appeared in Malevich’s works in 1913 in sketches of the scenery for the production of the futuristic opera “Victory over the Sun” by Mikhail Matyushin and Alexei Kruchenykh. In 1915, the square was presented in the form of a finished painting along with other geometric works, which, in general, marked the emergence of a new artistic movement - Suprematism.
The works were first published at the futuristic exhibition “0, 10”, which opened in St. Petersburg on December 19, 1915.
Malevich’s Suprematist paintings occupied a separate room there, and “Black Square” hung in the so-called red corner - the place in the room where icons were kept in Russian huts.
The latter circumstance was perceived by many critics and journalists as a challenge and an undermining of moral foundations. Subsequently, many skeptics tried to explain “Black Square” pragmatically - by the fact that the artist wrote something on the canvas, it didn’t work out, and he painted over the image as it came to his mind at that moment.
This bold hypothesis, however, is contradicted by the fact that Malevich repeatedly made original repetitions of “Square”. Today we know of four repetitions: two are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, one in the Russian Museum, and one more in the Hermitage.
Thus, apparently, the current discovery of art historians from the Tretyakov Gallery is important for the history of Malevich’s masterpiece, but adds absolutely nothing to our understanding or misunderstanding of the painting. Is it straight
The name Alla, of course, has appeared in connection with Malevich before. His four works from 1882-1883, blue, black, white and red rectangles with titles like “First Communion of Anemic Girls in the Snow,” were shown in Untethered Art exhibitions. This was often remembered in connection with Malevich, but it was not entirely clear how the playful French idea related to the monumental Russian symbol of new art. Now, apparently, one can perceive the quest of Russian avant-garde artists, in particular, as a response to French things.
The future artist was born in 1878 in Kyiv into a family of immigrants from Poland. Malevich received his education first at the Kyiv Drawing Studio, and then at the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. In addition, he visited the art studio of F. Rerberg for several years.
The first known mention of the works of Kazimir Malevich is associated with the 14th exhibition of the Moscow Partnership in 1907, where 2 sketches of the artist were presented. He also participated in the exhibitions “Jack of Diamonds”, the First Moscow Salon, “Union”, “Donkey’s Tail”, “Modern Painting”.
In just 10 years from 1903 to 1913, the artist went from impressionism and symbolism to Russian Fauvism - primitivism and further - to Cubo-Futurism and Suprematism.
Kazimir Malevich acted as a theorist of new trends in art in the brochure “From Cubism and Futurism to Suprematism” (1915). In a short time it went through 3 editions.
Beginning in the 1910s, the work of Kazimir Malevich became a kind of “testing ground” where new painting possibilities were tested and honed. The search went in different directions, but the artist’s main achievement in these years was a cycle of paintings, which brought Malevich great popularity. These are the well-known paintings “Cow and”, “Aviator”, “Englishman in Moscow”, “Portrait of Ivan Klyun”. In them, the artist demonstrated a new way of painting space to the French Cubists.
“Black Square” - a brilliant picture or charlatanism?
In mid-1915, having painted more than 39 paintings, consistent with the principles of cubism, but gravitating towards non-objectivity, Malevich gave the name of the new painting - Suprematism. The manifesto of this artistic movement was the famous “Black Square,” which was demonstrated in 1915 at the last Futurist exhibition. It is this painting, in the opinion of the artist himself, that should be the beginning of the end of “visible, objective painting.” In his brochure, Malevich proclaimed Suprematism as the beginning of a new culture.
“Black Square” and other Suprematist paintings by the artist are compositions where the main image is the image of geometric figures on a neutral-colored background. These works completely lack even the slightest hint of materiality. Nevertheless, Malevich’s works are distinguished by a certain harmony, which appears on a “cosmic” level.
Currently, three versions of the painting “Black Square”, painted by Kazimir Malevich, are known.
Writing the simplest geometric figure (square), using basic colors - black and white - has been exciting minds and heated debate for almost a hundred years.
Many researchers have tried and are still trying to unravel the mystery of this painting. Interpretations of this painting by Malevich are extremely contradictory - from the gloomy revelation of a brilliant artist to wretchedness, from an artificially inflated fetish behind which there is absolutely no secret to the Jewish, and even an act of self-affirmation of the satanic principle.
Be that as it may, Malevich created a great canvas that, like a magnet, attracts lovers and specialists of painting.
Paintings by this artist are sold at auctions for incredible amounts of money; galleries stand in line and fight for the right to display his paintings in their halls. He is a recognized genius all over the world. Meanwhile, regarding his most famous painting, every second person who saw it remarked with bewilderment and a sarcastic grin: “I’m also an artist!” The painting is called “Black Square”, its author is Kazimir Malevich. So what's the deal?
Many scientific works have been written on this subject, a lot of dissertations have been defended on this material, thick books have been published, but all this information is intended for a rather narrow circle of initiates and those interested. And the fact that everyone, without exception, including skeptics, sees the products of this artist’s work around them every day and uses them is a secret for the vast majority.
Before Malevich, there was a different visual language in painting. Color has always been tied to form. Using a color palette, the artist conveyed thoughts, emotions, and mood through the chosen plot.
The idea that color has independent content, an energetic effect on a person’s mental, physical, and emotional state, came to Malevich as an insight when he was painting the scenery for a play. The artist felt the self-sufficiency of the black square depicted at the back of the stage.
This was the beginning of a new era in painting. Malevich created a new artistic alphabet, which had a wide scope of application - medical, energetic, psychological. He studied the influence of color forms (black square, red cross, white circle) on the human condition, on his health, psyche, and proposed a new language for the new time.
Malevich discovered that white color, for example, increases pain and its use in hospitals is dangerous for patients, red color is stimulating, green is calming, and orange sharpens attention. Bright jackets for road workers are Malevich's invention.
The use of color in the interior depending on the impact on the human psyche is now self-evident and seems to have always been the case. In fact, this is a discovery, the result of painstaking work and deep research of a great artist.
What was once recognized as outstanding and remains so according to experts deserves a closer and more benevolent look. And condescending irony in relation to real discoveries is a consequence of superficial judgment. One has only to be more attentive and curious, and amazing truths will be revealed to an interested eye.
I really love this question!
As always, I’ll start from afar))
The answer to the question about the “Black Square” is somewhat deeper than it might seem.
First, you need to plunge into the history of art, namely at the turn of the 19th and 20th centuries. So, the Impressionists, they were the first to declare and began to depict the world around, not as the academicians did, but as they saw it: with the play of light and shadow, with a non-classical composition, with a completely different approach to depicting the world.
It was the Impressionists who served as the starting point for modern art. Next came the Post-Impressionists, who continued to experiment, first of all with color (for example, the Fauvists, represented by Henri Matisse) and then with the shape of objects (for example, the Cubists, represented by Pablo Picasso).
All these experiments simplified the depicted objects as much as possible (but by no means in a bad sense of the word). This was all a kind of normal evolution of painting and art in general; it was quite logical that after many thousands of centuries, starting from ancient art, disassembling the depicted object into its component parts, shape, color and line, art would come to the basis of the foundations of everything - to black square.
Let's return to the History of Art, the Cubists - they dismantled the world into simple forms, the basis of their art is a set of simple fundamentals (sphere, cone, cylinder). These figures form the basis of any still life and nature in general. Cubism is the study of form and its emotional content. In the works of Henri Matisse we see the beauty of color, form and ornament. In his works he paid a large role to lines and rhythm.
Futurists go in parallel with cubism and fauvism. The latter were characterized by the theme of the speed of time. Look at the works of Umberto Boccioni, his works are reminiscent of “the view from the window of a passing train.” In 1905, the first Futurist exhibition took place, at which the Manifesto was announced, they said that they were clearing the way for a new perception of time. They destroyed everything that existed (in art) so that new, future artists could come.
A little later (1915), but almost in parallel, constructivists began to appear and develop. A prominent representative of the constructivists was Rodchenko - he was fond of pure form (this was especially at its peak, since the revolution ended in Russia, everything was permeated with a new, pure form, new life).
BUT all of the above artists are looking for themselves on the “base” of the old arts. And now we come to the most interesting thing, at the same time a group of artists begins to form, which has found a completely new path - These are Wassily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich. The first in his innovative ideas was Wassily Kandinsky, with his theory of abstract art, color and movement without plot or illustrations, harmony and dynamics due to color spots and lines. The artist’s emotion is directly transmitted to the viewer. Look at his work and you will immediately understand everything.
By 1915, Kazimir Malevich created the theory of new art. A little earlier, Wassily Kandinsky created his theory of absolute art. His main idea is color and movement without plot or illustrations, a balance of harmony and dynamics, his works are color spots and lines. In this way, the artist’s emotion is directly transmitted to the viewer, without any retelling or distortion.
K. Malevich's idea was somewhat similar to Kandinsky, but still different. K. Malevich and Suprematism is a very clear idea, art goes through stages of maturation and reaches the pure form of Suprematism. Malevich called this path “From Fauvism and Cubism to Suprematism.” The idea of Suprematism is a return to the beginning of art, to the origins of color and form, a complete departure from imagery (this is similar to Kandinsky). According to the theory of Suprematism, there are 3 forms: square, circle and cross, triangle only within the composition. Pure colors: black, white, red, blue and yellow. The famous “Black Square” is the idea of concentration of Suprematism.
Kazimir Malevich with the idea of Suprematism - in his theory, art goes through stages of maturation, reaching the pure form of Suprematism. Returning to the beginning of art - the origin of color and form. Harmony, proportions, rhythm combined with simple colors, an absolutely complete departure from illustration.
The black square is the concentration of the idea of suprimatism. Black color – macro/micro space, reference point. Malevich’s art fit perfectly into the new Soviet life. This is a completely different art, it is very philosophical, a theory is written to understand and explain it. Therefore, it is absolutely impossible to consider the Black Square without any context and consider this image primitive. To understand it, you need to study all past eras and then everything will become logical and understandable.
Kazimir Malelevich was an innovator, and at the beginning of the 20th century. His theses and art were something incredible. Art cannot be viewed from the position of “and I can draw like that...” Malevich was the first with his Manifesto, and that is why he is an innovator. He has other works where it is clear that he is truly an artist. A certain turning point began to occur at the turn of the 20th-21st centuries, the main thing became not art and aesthetics, but the concept, and even those who did not really know how to draw began to call themselves artists.... But time passed, and artists were again in demand, capable of creating a canvas of amazing beauty, and at the same time, these same artists can create something simple, write a concept and it will be brilliant.
Kazimir Malevich presented his famous “Black Square” in 1915 at an exhibition called “0 10”. The black square is a manifesto, it is a new art. Malevich reduced all the art of past eras to zero and took a completely different path. Suprematism is translated as higher/overcoming - these adjectives can also characterize Malevich’s work. It is worth noting that Malevich deliberately hung his square at the exhibition in the red corner; in Russian houses the icon always hung in this place.
10 meanings of the “Black Square”
Is the famous painting by Kazimir Malevich quackery or an encrypted philosophical message?
On December 5, the exhibition “Kazimir Malevich. Before and after the square." The famous painting divided not only the artist’s life, but also all modern art, into two segments.
On the one hand, you don’t have to be a great artist to draw a black square on a white background. Yes, anyone can do this! But here’s the mystery: “Black Square” is the most famous painting in the world. Almost 100 years have passed since it was written, and disputes and heated discussions do not stop.
Why is this happening? What is the true meaning and value of Malevich’s “Black Square”?
"Black square" is a dark rectangle
Let's start with the fact that “Black Square” is not black at all and not square at all: none of the sides of the quadrangle is parallel to any of its other sides, and to none of the sides of the square frame that frames the picture. And the dark color is the result of mixing various colors, among which there was no black. It is believed that this was not the author’s negligence, but a principled position, the desire to create a dynamic, moving form.
Kazimir Malevich “Black Suprematist Square”, 1915
"Black Square" is a failed painting
For the futuristic exhibition “0.10”, which opened in St. Petersburg on December 19, 1915, Malevich had to paint several paintings. Time was already running out, and the artist either did not have time to complete the painting for the exhibition, or was not happy with the result and, in the heat of the moment, covered it up by painting a black square. At that moment, one of his friends came into the studio and, seeing the painting, shouted “Brilliant!” After which Malevich decided to take advantage of the opportunity and came up with some higher meaning for his “Black Square”.
Hence the effect of cracked paint on the surface. There is no mysticism, the picture just didn’t work out.
Repeated attempts were made to examine the canvas to find the original version under the top layer. However, scientists, critics and art historians considered that irreparable damage could be caused to the masterpiece and in every possible way prevented further examinations.
“Black square” is a multi-colored cube
Kazimir Malevich has repeatedly stated that the painting was created by him under the influence of the unconscious, a kind of “cosmic consciousness”. Some argue that only the square in the “Black Square” is seen by people with underdeveloped imagination. If, when considering this picture, you go beyond traditional perception, go beyond the visible, then you will understand that in front of you is not a black square, but a multi-colored cube.
The secret meaning embedded in the “Black Square” can then be formulated as follows: the world around us, only at the first, superficial glance, looks flat and black and white. If a person perceives the world in volume and in all its colors, his life will change dramatically. Millions of people, who, according to them, were instinctively attracted to this picture, subconsciously felt the volume and colorfulness of the “Black Square”.
Black color absorbs all other colors, so it is quite difficult to see a multi-colored cube in a black square. And to see the white behind the black, the truth behind the lies, life behind death is many times more difficult. But the one who manages to do this will discover a great philosophical formula.
"Black Square" is a riot in art
At the time the painting appeared in Russia, there was a dominance of artists of the Cubist school. Cubism reached its apogee, all the artists were already quite fed up, and new artistic directions began to appear. One of these trends was Malevich’s Suprematism and the “Black Suprematist Square” as its vivid embodiment. The term “suprematism” comes from the Latin suprem, which means dominance, superiority of color over all other properties of painting. Suprematist paintings are non-objective painting, an act of “pure creativity”.
At the same time, the “Black Circle” and “Black Cross” were created and exhibited at the same exhibition, representing the three main elements of the Suprematist system. Later, two more Suprematist squares were created - red and white.
"Black Square", "Black Circle" and "Black Cross"
Suprematism became one of the central phenomena of the Russian avant-garde. Many talented artists experienced his influence. Rumor has it that Picasso lost interest in Cubism after he saw Malevich’s “square.”
“Black Square” is an example of brilliant PR
Kazimir Malevich understood the essence of the future of modern art: it doesn’t matter what, the main thing is how to present it and sell it.
Artists have been experimenting with the color “all black” since the 17th century. Robert Fludd was the first to paint a completely black work of art called "The Great Darkness" in 1617, followed by Bertal in 1843 with his work "View of La Hougue (Under the Cover of Night)." More than two hundred years later. And then almost without interruption - “The Twilight History of Russia” by Gustave Dore in 1854, “Night Fight of Negroes in the Cellar” by Paul Bealhold in 1882, a completely plagiarized “Battle of Negroes in a Cave in the Dead of Night” by Alphonse Allais. And only in 1915 Kazimir Malevich presented his “Black Suprematist Square” to the public. And it is his painting that is known to everyone, while others are known only to art historians. The extravagant trick made Malevich famous throughout the centuries.
Subsequently, Malevich painted at least four versions of his “Black Square”, differing in design, texture and color, in the hope of repeating and increasing the success of the painting.
"Black Square" is a political move
Kazimir Malevich was a subtle strategist and skillfully adapted to the changing situation in the country. Numerous black squares painted by other artists during Tsarist Russia remained unnoticed. In 1915, Malevich’s square acquired a completely new meaning, relevant to its time: the artist proposed revolutionary art for the benefit of a new people and a new era.
“Square” has almost nothing to do with art in its usual sense. The very fact of its writing is a declaration of the end of traditional art. A cultural Bolshevik, Malevich met the new government halfway, and the government believed him. Before the arrival of Stalin, Malevich held honorary positions and successfully rose to the rank of People's Commissar of the IZO NARKOMPROS.
"Black Square" is a refusal of content
The painting marked a clear transition to awareness of the role of formalism in the visual arts. Formalism is the rejection of literal content for the sake of artistic form. An artist, when painting a picture, thinks not so much in terms of “context” and “content”, but rather in terms of “balance”, “perspective”, “dynamic tension”. What Malevich recognized and his contemporaries did not recognize is de facto for modern artists and “just a square” for everyone else.
“Black Square” is a challenge to Orthodoxy
The painting was first presented at the futuristic exhibition “0.10” in December 1915. along with 39 other works by Malevich. The “Black Square” hung in the most prominent place, in the so-called “red corner”, where icons were hung in Russian houses according to Orthodox traditions. There art critics “stumbled upon” him. Many perceived the picture as a challenge to Orthodoxy and an anti-Christian gesture. The greatest art critic of that time, Alexander Benois, wrote: “Undoubtedly, this is the icon that the futurists, gentlemen, put in place of the Madonna.”
Exhibition "0.10". Petersburg. December 1915
“Black Square” is a crisis of ideas in art
Malevich is called almost the guru of modern art and is accused of the death of traditional culture. Today, any daredevil can call himself an artist and declare that his “works” have the highest artistic value.
Art has outlived its usefulness and many critics agree that after “Black Square” nothing outstanding was created. Most artists of the twentieth century lost inspiration, many were in prison, exile or emigration.
“Black Square” is total emptiness, a black hole, death. They say that Malevich, after writing “Black Square,” told everyone for a long time that he could neither eat nor sleep. And he himself doesn’t understand what he did. Subsequently, he wrote 5 volumes of philosophical reflections on the topic of art and existence.
"Black Square" is quackery
Charlatans successfully fool the public into believing something that is not actually there. They declare those who do not believe them to be stupid, backward, and uncomprehending dullards who are inaccessible to the lofty and beautiful. This is called the "naked king effect." Everyone is ashamed to say that this is bullshit, because they will laugh.
And the most primitive design - a square - can be ascribed with any deep meaning; the scope for human imagination is simply limitless. Not understanding what the great meaning of “Black Square” is, many people need to invent it for themselves so that they have something to admire when looking at the picture.
Self-portrait. Artist. 1933
The painting, painted by Malevich in 1915, remains perhaps the most discussed painting in Russian painting. For some, “Black Square” is a rectangular trapezoid, but for others it is a deep philosophical message encrypted by the great artist. In the same way, looking at a piece of sky in a square window, everyone thinks about their own. What were you thinking?
Kazimir Malevich. Black suprematist square. 1915, Moscow.
Everyone has thought about the paradox of Malevich’s “Black Square”.
It's impossible to think of anything simpler. Like a black square. It's impossible to draw anything easier. Like a black square. Nevertheless, it is recognized as a masterpiece.
If it goes to public auction today, they will be ready to buy it for $140 million!
How did this “misunderstanding” arise? The primitive image is recognized as a masterpiece by all art critics around the world. Did they conspire?
Obviously, there is something special in “Black Square”. Invisible to the average viewer. Let's try to discover this “something”.
1. “Black Square” is not as simple as it seems.
It is only at first glance that it seems that anyone could create such a masterpiece. Both a child and an adult without art education.
A child would not have the patience to paint such a large surface with one color.
But seriously, even an adult could hardly repeat “Black Square”. Because not everything in this picture is so simple.
The black square is NOT actually black
The “black square” is not actually a square. Its sides are NOT equal to each other. And opposite sides are NOT parallel to each other.
Besides, “Black Square” is NOT completely black.
Chemical analysis showed that Malevich used three homemade paints. The first is burnt bone. The second is black ocher. And the third is another natural component... dark green. Malevich also mixed in CHALK. To remove the gloss effect inherent in oil paints.
That is, Malevich did not just take the first black paint he came across and paint over the drawn square. He spent at least a day preparing the paint.
There are four “Black Squares”
If this were a randomly created painting, the artist would not create repetitions of it. Over the next 15 years, he created 3 more “Black Squares”.
If you have seen all 4 paintings (two are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, one in the Russian Museum, one in the Hermitage), then you probably noticed how different they are.
Yes Yes. Despite their simplicity, they are different. The first “Square” of 1915 is considered the most energetically charged. It's all about the successful selection of shades of black and white, as well as the composition of the paints.
All four paintings are not similar in size or color. One of the “Squares” is larger in size (created in 1923, kept in the Russian Museum). The other one is much blacker. It is the most dull and all-consuming in color (also kept in the Tretyakov Gallery).
Below are all four “Squares”. The difference in reproductions is difficult to understand. But suddenly this will inspire you to watch them live.
From left to right: 1.Black square. 1929 79.5 x 79.5 cm. Tretyakov Gallery. 2. Black square. 1930-1932 53.5 x 53.5 cm. 3. Black square. 1923 106 x 106 cm. Russian Museum. 4. Black square. 1915 79.5 x 79.5 cm. Tretyakov Gallery.
“Black Square” closes two more paintings
On the 1915 “Square” you probably noticed cracks (craquelures). The lower paint layer is visible through them. These are the colors of another painting. It was written in a proto-Suprematist style. Something like the painting “The Lady at the Lamp Post”.
Kazimir Malevich. Lady at the lamppost. 1914 Stedelek City Museum, Amsterdam That's not all. Below it is another image. Already the third in a row. Written in the style of cubo-futurism. This is what this style looks like.
Kazimir Malevich. Grinder. 1912 Yale University Art Gallery, New Haven That's why craquelures appeared. The paint layer is too thick.
Why such difficulties? As many as three images on one surface!
Perhaps this is an accident. It happens. The artist gets an idea. He wants to express it right away. But you may not have a canvas at hand. But even if there is canvas, it needs to be prepared and primed. Then insignificant pictures come into play. Or which the artist considers unsuccessful.
The result was a sort of picturesque nesting doll. Evolution. From Cubo-Futurism to Cubo-Suprematism and to pure Suprematism in the form of the “Black Square”.
2. Strong theory of strong personality
“Black Square” was created within the framework of a new direction in painting invented by Malevich. Suprematism. “Supreme” means “excellent”. Since the artist considered it the highest point in the development of painting.
This is a whole school. How . Like academicism. Only this school was created by one person. Kazimir Malevich. He attracted many supporters and followers to his side.
Malevich knew how to speak clearly and charismatically about his brainchild. He zealously campaigned for a complete abandonment of figurativeness. That is, from the image of objects and objects. Suprematism is an art that creates, and does not repeat, as the artist said.
If we remove the pathos and look at his theory from the outside, then we cannot help but recognize its greatness. Malevich, as befits a genius, felt which way the wind was blowing.
The time for individual perception was ending. What did this mean? Previously, only a select few admired works of art. Those who owned them. Or he could afford to walk to the museum.
Now the age of mass culture was coming. When simplified forms and pure colors are important. Malevich understood that art should not lag behind. Or maybe even lead this movement.
He invented essentially a new pictorial language. Proportionate to the time to come, which is about to come. And the language has its own alphabet.
The “black square” is the main sign of this alphabet. “Zero forms”, as Malevich said.
Before Malevich, there was another alphabet, invented at the beginning of the 14th century. All art existed according to this alphabet. This is perspective. Volume. Emotional expressiveness.
Giotto. Kiss of Judas. 1303-1305 Fresco in the Scrovegni Chapel in Padua, Italy Malevich's language is completely different. Simple color forms. In which color is given a different role. It is not intended to convey nature. And not to create the illusion of volume. It is expressive in its own right.
“Black square” is the main “letter” in the new alphabet. Square because it is the first form. Black color because it absorbs all colors.
Together with the “Black Square” Malevich creates the “Black Cross” and “Black Circle”. Simple elements. But they are also derivatives of the black square.
A circle appears if the square is rotated on a plane. The cross consists of several squares.
Paintings by K. Malevich. Left: Black cross. 1915 Center Pompidou, Paris. Right: Black circle. 1923 Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
Paintings by K. Malevich. Left: Black square and red square. 1915 Museum of Modern Art, New York. Middle: Suprematist composition. 1916. Private collection. Right: Suprematism. 1916 Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.
Malevich painted in the style of Suprematism for several years. And then the incredible happened. He denied figurativeness for so long that... he returned to it.
This could be seen as inconsistency. Like, they “played” with a beautiful theory and that’s enough.
In fact, the language he created was hungry for use. Applications in the world of form and nature. And Malevich obediently returned to this world. But he portrayed it using the new language of Suprematism.
Paintings by Kazimir Malevich. Left: Athletes. 1932 Russian Museum. Middle: Red House. 1932 Ibid. Right: Girl with a comb in her hair. 1934 Tretyakov Gallery
So “Black Square” is not the end of art. How it is sometimes referred to. This is the beginning of a new art.
Then a new stage began. Language wanted to serve people. And he passed into our lives.
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3. Huge impact on living space
Having created Suprematism, Malevich did everything to prevent it from gathering dust in museums. And he went to the masses.
He drew sketches of dresses. But during his lifetime he was able to “put them on” only on the heroes of his paintings.
Kazimir Malevich. Portrait of the artist's wife. 1934. Wikiart.org He also painted porcelain. Created designs for fabrics.
Left: a service from the Leningrad Porcelain Factory, created according to Malevich’s sketches (1922). Right: sample of fabric with a drawing by Malevich (1919)
Malevich’s supporters began to speak the language of the “Black Square”. The most famous of them is El Lissitzky. Who invented printing fonts, as well as new book designs.
He was inspired by the theory of Suprematism and Malevich’s “Black Square”.
El Lissitzky. Cover of Vladimir Mayakovsky’s book “Good!” 1927 Designing books like this seems natural to us. But only because Malevich’s style has firmly entered our lives.
Our contemporaries, designers, architects and fashion designers do not hide the fact that all their lives they have drawn inspiration from the works of Malevich. Among them is one of the most famous architects, Zaha Hadid (1950-2016).
Left: Dominion Tower. Architect: Zaha Hadid. Construction 2005-2015 Moscow (metro station Dubrovka). In the center: Table “Malevich”. Alberto Lievore. 2016 Spain. Right: Gabrielo Colangelo. Collection spring-summer 2013
4. Why “Black Square” is puzzling. And why is it still a masterpiece?
Almost every viewer tries to understand Malevich using the familiar language of natural images. The same one that Giotto invented and which was developed
Many people try to evaluate “Black Square” using inappropriate criteria. Like it or not. Beautiful - not beautiful. Realistic - not realistic.
Awkwardness sets in. Discouragement. Because “Black Square” remains deaf to such assessments. What remains? Only condemn or ridicule.
Daub. Nonsense. “A child can draw better” or “I can draw that too” and so on.
Then it will become clear why this is a masterpiece. It is impossible to evaluate “Black Square” on its own. But only together with the space it serves.
PS.
Malevich was famous during his lifetime. But he did not receive any material benefit from this. Going to an exhibition in Paris in 1929, he asked the authorities to let him go there... on foot. Because he didn’t have money for the trip.
The authorities realized that Comrade Malevich, who came to Europe on his own two feet, would undermine their authority. Therefore, 40 rubles were allocated for the trip.
True, after 2 weeks he was urgently called back by telegram. And upon arrival he was immediately arrested. By denunciation. Like a German spy.
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