Гончарова, Наталья Сергеевна 

Painter, graphic artist, scenographer

Born Nagaevo (Tula), 21 June 1884

Died Paris, 17 October 1962

Gontcharova was the daughter of a professor of Botany and spent her youth in the Ukraine. She studied 1898-1901 sculpture at the Moscow School of Art, Sculpture and Architecture and started studying painting under Korovin in 1900. Here she met Larionov. Both would stay companions for life. In 1906 Gontcharova was invited by Diaghilev to participate in the Salon d'Automne in Paris. Here she presented her first works. Gontcharova was later active in setting up the Knave of Diamonds exhibition in 1910. Together with Larionov she played an unparallelled role in the development of Russian art. Together Larionov and Gontcharova established the Donkey's tail group that rejected western values and turned to the Russian roots. In 1913 she was a pivotal figure in Russian futurism. Just before world war I both Larionov and Gontcharova were in Paris to assist Diaghilev with the design of the Ballets-Russes. In 1919 she settled in Paris and although she kept in touch with Russian art she would never return to her homeland.

1911-12

1913

1914-15

1916

1918

1919

1920

1921

1922

1923

1924

1925

1926

1931

1932-33

1940

1945

1948

1950

1952

1953-54

1955-56

1961

1963

1965-66

1968-69

1971-73

1976

1979-80

1986-87

1990-91

1995

1996-97

1999-2000

2002-03

2006-07

2009-10

2011