The Cyclist

Exactly 135 years ago Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova was born. She was a Russian avant-garde artist, painter, costume designer, writer, illustrator, and set designer. She was also one of the most important figures in the inception and development of Russian Modern art in the years immediately preceding the 1917 Socialist revolution. A figure of great controversy and vision Goncharova was more a beacon of innovation than merely an artist (in its technical definition). Her name is often mentioned together with Mikhail Larionov, her collaborator, and partner of 60 years and together they experimented with the contemporary French and European styles, and in the second half of 1912 brought forth a unique fusion of Cubo-Futurism and Orphism they called Rayism. At her major solo exhibition in 1913, her primitive-style Russian works were displayed side-by-side with her more modernist paintings. Although she died in poverty, her pictures now sell for multi-million dollar sums. The Cyclist is Goncharova's most famous example of Futurist painting in which her depiction cleverly captures the energy of the man on his bike as he passes by. The blurred background adds to the sense of speed and movement.

Have a great weekend!