So this is it. This is what I do. You’re looking at it. I observe, analyze and record. I have no special feeling for art per se. I’m a critic and a truth teller and a lover of human achievement. I like to piece together context. Right now what I’m doing is attempting ‘living’ art history basically. Reporting as I discover. I appreciate you being on the ride with me. Let’s see what’s next in the world of the greatest artist nobody’s ever heard of Natalia Gontcharova.
As I examine the exhibition catalogues in my collection, the one from the 1956 Galerie de L’Institut show in Paris continues to present fascinating information. I’m sure it seems funny because of the minutiae like quality of data and the superficial fact that it’s just a list of works but check this out.
At number three in the list just before number four ‘Replique’ which I have previously mentioned is a work called ‘Woman in Blue’ (private collection Paris?) with a date of 1908. According to the 1963 Paris exhibition catalogue it is initialed in Russian ‘NG’ and dated 1908 on the back. Presumably this is Natalia marking the back. As I have suggested, she is likely to place a date on a work that is appropriate to her with no regard for when the thing was actually made along a time line. She is telling us 1908 because that’s where it fits for her. But if you are curious to know when the work was made along our customary timeline, I think it was made later and perhaps a good bit later.
Here’s why. Take a long look at the painting. This is what you have to do when taking in Gontcharova. Stop. Study. What do you see? What is the meaning? Do you see it? It’s the Backwards Hand! There is clearly a left hand emerging from the right arm of the red woman that seems to push at the blue woman. This, in Natalia’s language, says conflict, something is amiss, all is not well. If all were well, a sense of harmony wold be presented, unity and rhythm. Take a look at ‘Mowers’ (Yekaterinburg Museum) from 1911. The men are bound together and seems to share four legs as they move powerfully across the picture plane. Now look at ‘Woman in Blue’ again. See the difference? My thought here is that ‘Woman in Blue’ represents Goncharova’s conflict with the Orthodox faith. In 1908 according to the linear timeline, Goncharova has no conflict with the Orthodox faith and therefore would not have created such a conflicted image. Just my two sense. What do you think?
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