malevich cow and violin 1913 Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Kazimir Malevich – malevich cow and violin 1913
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Painter: Kazimir Malevich
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K.S. Malevich is a vivid representative of surrealism, so underdeveloped in Russia at the time. His paintings are striking in their originality, the characters incompatible, and the colors sometimes gloomy. The work "Cow and Violin" is one of the most striking and unusual paintings. It is painted on a wooden plank. At that time, the artist was in need and could not afford to buy an expensive canvas.
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Description of the painting "Cow and Violin" by Kazimir Malevich
K.S. Malevich is a vivid representative of surrealism, so underdeveloped in Russia at the time. His paintings are striking in their originality, the characters incompatible, and the colors sometimes gloomy.
The work "Cow and Violin" is one of the most striking and unusual paintings. It is painted on a wooden plank. At that time, the artist was in need and could not afford to buy an expensive canvas. So he used a part of the wooden shelf as a canvas and left even the holes for fixing it.
The work is done in colors peculiar to the painter. The dark background speaks of the artist’s sadness, his gloomy mood. The idea of the work was based on the standards on which the art of the time was based. Music had to be created according to the rules, literature had to meet certain standards and painting was evaluated based on the given parameters of the work.
The artist promoted freedom in everything, he easily combined dissimilar objects. Malevich was against standards and rules, he believed that there are no laws and formulas for art. In his painting, he ridiculed the use of clichés.
The master jokingly suggests combining a cow and music, visually demonstrating how it would look literal. Several green elements in the painting give optimism not only to the work, but also shows the artist’s hope for development and desire to live. He did not tolerate certainty in art and its clear divisions. One cannot say that the painting is in the Cubist style. This work is probably one of the most realistic in the creative life of Malevich.
The picture is filled with deep philosophical meaning. The artist allows you to look from the outside, not only on standards, but also on their world view. Perhaps this canvas will change the view not only on art but also on life. In each work of Malevich, everyone sees his own hidden meaning.
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The background is fragmented into geometric blocks of color: muted greens, browns, grays, and purples create a sense of spatial ambiguity. These planes do not converge to establish a traditional perspective; instead, they exist independently, contributing to the overall feeling of disorientation. A pale, roughly spherical form hovers in the upper left quadrant, its indistinct nature adding another layer of abstraction.
The artist’s use of color is notable for its restraint and limited palette. The earthy tones employed evoke a sense of rural life or pastoral imagery, while the darker hues contribute to an atmosphere of melancholy or introspection. The stark contrast between the warm tones of the animal and instrument against the cooler background creates visual tension.
Subtextually, the work seems to explore themes of nature versus culture, simplicity versus complexity, and perhaps even the relationship between rural tradition and modern artistic expression. The placement of the cow on the musical instrument could be interpreted as a symbolic representation of the integration or collision of seemingly incompatible realms – the natural world and human creativity. The fragmented background suggests a breakdown of traditional structures and perspectives, aligning with broader modernist concerns about challenging established norms. The overall effect is one of quiet contemplation, inviting viewers to ponder the underlying meanings embedded within this unusual assemblage of forms.