Reaper on a Red Background is a work by Kazimir Malevich made around 1912–1913, in the cubo-futurist period that preceded the development of Suprematism. The subject of the reaper recurs in Malevich’s art and represents his bond with Russian rural life, a central theme in popular culture and in pre-revolutionary propaganda.
In this version, however, the figure is not rendered realistically: it is fragmented into geometric planes and intense colours, influenced by Italian Futurism and French Cubism. The red background, vibrant and dominant, suggests energy and transformation, but also a symbolic dimension that anticipates revolutionary aesthetics. The figure in motion, built from broken lines and fragmented forms, conveys dynamism and modernity, celebrating human labour as the driving force of social change. The work marks a fundamental stage in the artist’s transition towards a completely abstract language.
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
How an Amalfi art print is made, what the frame is like, what museum glass is, how long shipping takes, and how returns work: we’ve gathered all the answers on a single page.
