Description:
Signed (lower right): N.G.
Label Text:
What makes us doubt the authenticity of this drawing is not its provenance but the style of its execution. Although it builds on the imagery of Natalia Goncharova’s genuine works on Christian themes, such as her sketches for the unfinished ballet Liturgy (religious music inspired by Gregorian chant, choreography by Léonide Massine), this composition is strikingly different in color, composition, and painterly technique. As a radical avant-garde artist, Goncharova actively experimented with artistic form and avoided realism in the depiction of human figures. And yet, having received an excellent education in painting and sculpture, she deeply understood human anatomy and distorted it only for the purpose of achieving greater expression and dynamism. In this case, the angel’s figure is rather unconvincing: it seems to be distorted for no particular reason, as the result does not change the static nature of the composition. The angel’s face seems unnatural, and the overall drawing style is stiff and not at the level of confidence and virtuosity that Goncharova had achieved by the 1910s. As a result, a large number of scholars of Russian avant-garde art are unanimous in not attributing this work to Goncharova.
Maria Timina for the exhibition "Art in Doubt: A Critical Examination of the Thomas P. Whitney Collection. Part 2," 2024
Tags:
religion; angels; icons Link to share this object record:
https://museums.fivecolleges.edu/detail.php?t=objects&type=ext&id_number=AC+2001.15 |
