"Marfa and Vanka", painted by Kazimir Malevich between 1930 and 1933, is part of the artist's late figurative output, inspired by Soviet rural life. The work depicts two young peasants, rigidly frontal, with expressions reduced to elementary forms and faces almost devoid of detail. The figures, simplified into geometric volumes and flat colours, evoke a symbolic rather than narrative dimension. The two figures, presumably shown as members of the same working community, embody the collective identity of the peasant world during the era of collectivisation.
The essential background, with stylised buildings and an almost abstract landscape, underlines Malevich's desire to fuse everyday reality with formal research. Although he had to respond to the ideological pressures of the Soviet regime, the artist retains elements of his Suprematist poetics, entrusting the communicative force of the composition to visual synthesis. The work thus becomes a silent icon of the simple, austere life of the village.
Unique quality material
Print on handmade Amalfi paper Sheet size: 29 x 42 cm (11.4 x 16.5 in) With frame: 31 x 44 cm (12.2 x 17.3 in) Material: artwork printed on very fine handmade Amalfi paper with deckled edges Frame: light brown beech wood and wood pulp, handmade
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