Natalia Gontcharova

(1884 - 1962)

1443

Die Mär von der Heerfahrt Igors

The lay of Igor's warfare

Munich: Orchis, 1923

260 x 190 mm. 80 pages

Edition: 700. Copy no. 674

Copy with a dedivation by Gontchatova

Contrary to the indication on the title page (1923) this book appeared in 1924 as part three in a series of Orchis editions with coloured graphics, although it was announced as part 6 in a series to be illustrated by Gontcharova, Kandinsky and Grigoriev. At the moment of publication Orchis, publisher of Russian novels and illustrated editions of Russian literature, ceased to be an independent company and became part of the Allgemeine Verlagsanstalt Munich. They could not have wished for a better final production. This Lay about Igor’s warfare, the oldest Russian tale, was been designed by Gontcharova as a medieval book. It was bound in (half-)parchment  (save for some personal copies in unadorned half linen covers). The illustrations have been hand coloured in pochoir technique. Dark purple, brown and green together with grey dominate the palette, harmonizing with the yellowish-grey paper. The depicted figures, representing women, soldiers and animals, are flat and hieratic. At some points the figures are woven into geometrical ornaments, which blend very well with 20th century ideas of 12th century decor, described in the tale. At the same time they reflect a personal reworking of primitivism as developed by Larionov in the early 1910’s, combined with the fluent lines of Jugendstil.

References:

Brussels 2005, p. 143

Offenbach 2016, nr. 27