Abstract

Female Russian artists in the early 20th century were pioneers in different art movements, experimented with a range of styles, materials, and received commissions of artwork. These artists witnessed multiple political upheavals which at first created and then deprived them of many rights, diminishing their autonomy. Thus, the creation of art in itself became a political statement for these women, allowing them to process the extreme changes from ruralism to urbanism, from a humble form of living to the lavish, commercialized lifestyle of Western Europe that spread through Russia. The artists Lyubov Popova, Natalia Goncharova, Vera Mukhina, and Tatiana Kopnina deconstruct and understand Russia’s transformation from aristocracy to socialism, and finally from socialism to communism through art and thus contributed their own understanding of modernity. Analyses of their paintings, sculptures, and common motifs (such as the peasant woman and Mother Russia) elucidate the dissimilarities between male artists’ and female artists’ experiences in this volatile era. This thesis will bring key female Russian artists into the discourse on modern art and serve to establish their importance in the mainstream art canon as well as elucidate their relationship with modernity.

How to Cite