Label Text:
One of the leaders of the avant-garde art movement in Europe, Alexandra Exter was known for her original work that combined Cubism and Futurism with an emphasis on color and a decorative approach to painting. In the mid-1910s, Exter found herself within the orbit of Kazimir Malevich and transitioned to abstract art. Although her exploration of the non-objective was a relatively brief episode in the artist’s career, it became a favorite among forgers of her work.
While provenance research has not resulted in hard proof in favor or against this work’s authenticity, art historical analysis casts doubt on the previous attribution. The closest parallel for this watercolor is “Movement of Color in a Construction” (1921, present location unknown), a reproduction of which was published by the critic Yakov Tugendhol’d in 1922. The resemblance between the two pictures is strong, perhaps even too strong with the watercolor’s composition replicating that of the published work. While one could assume that this was the artist herself trying to build on that composition, it is difficult to explain other discrepancies. The superimposed brushstrokes chaotically move in different directions, while also depriving colors of their vibrancy and making them look unusually murky for Exter. The composition lacks clarity and coherence, with forms being hard to distinguish from each other. The resemblance between the two works implies that they must have been created at around the same time in 1921, when Exter was already among the leaders of the newly emergent Constructivism. Yet it is hard to believe that the watercolor relates to this period. The disorganized composition puts it in opposition to the Constructivist aesthetics built around the idea of a well-defined structure, or “construction,” as the most important feature in an artwork.
Finally, the very thing that is supposed to reassure us of the work's authenticity—the artist's signature—in this case generates more doubt. Only present in Exter’s early Cubist works, this monogram was completely abandoned by the artist by the late 1910s and never appeared in her abstract paintings. Here, it creates the impression of being added solely as a means of increasing the work’s market value by someone who was not following the logic of Exter’s artistic path.
Maria Timina for the exhibition "Art in Doubt: A Critical Examination of the Thomas P. Whitney Collection. Part 1" (2023)
Tags:
light; construction Subjects:
Light; Watercolor painting Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+2001.10 |
