malevich peasants c1928-9 Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935)
Kazimir Malevich – malevich peasants c1928-9
Edit attribution
Download full size: 869×750 px (0,1 Mb)
Painter: Kazimir Malevich
Album navigation:
It is difficult to imagine twentieth-century art without such an iconic artist as Kazimir Malevich. It was he who in his time vividly reflected all the distortions and paradoxes of humanity for the entire world. Malevich sought to reveal art from different sides. In the painting The Peasants, which later laid the foundation for an entire cycle about the complex life of the peasantry, three ordinary working peasants are shown.
ArtClub
Best Contemporary Atists
Description of the painting "Peasants" by Kazimir Malevich
It is difficult to imagine twentieth-century art without such an iconic artist as Kazimir Malevich. It was he who in his time vividly reflected all the distortions and paradoxes of humanity for the entire world.
Malevich sought to reveal art from different sides. In the painting The Peasants, which later laid the foundation for an entire cycle about the complex life of the peasantry, three ordinary working peasants are shown. At the very beginning of the development of this subject, the artist believed that the life of a "peasant from the countryside" is easy and simple, because you do not need to know a thousand sciences, as well as an incredible number of rules of grammar. Only when he arrived in the fields, where the peasants toil in the sweat of their faces, he realizes that their life is much more difficult.
Malevich decides to attract the audience to the problems of the peasantry and creates a unique painting called The Peasants. Heroes are deliberately shown in one plane with hypertrophied figures to enhance the images. There is no hint of detailing of any parts, only the singular symbolism of colors:
Blue, which fills most of the canvas, signifies simplicity of soul, openness to the world and constancy of spirit
The yellow-brown shade means belonging and interrelation with the earth and the environment
The green color in the center, harmonizing between the symmetrical white, - denotes the symbol of balance, the cyclic nature of life and closeness to nature.
Black is a characteristic mask, covering all the faces with a black veil and not giving any details to discern. This color signifies the difficulty, aimlessness of life in this world and the constant struggle with the higher classes, despite the abolition of serfdom.
The white color is presented as a symbol of hope for the future, in harmony with the cycle of all life and the image itself. Light clothing signifies a movement forward, with the goal of making nature unchallenged, which would mean a chance to purify oneself from all that is worldly.
But attaining enlightenment is difficult, and not everyone in this world is given it. The color red signifies the difficulties and obstacles that will have to be overcome to find the place where a cloudless sky and "white" freedom await.
By giving the painting symbolism, Malevich achieved a greater result than his artist friends. His canvas can be analyzed for hours, and each time you discover something new.
You cannot comment Why?
Here we see three male forms, rendered with simplified geometric shapes and minimal detail. Their bodies are largely monolithic, lacking any indication of individual musculature or nuanced posture. Each figure is clad in what appears to be rudimentary clothing: white tunics belted at the waist, and dark trousers. The most striking feature is their headwear – one wears a yellow cap, another a red one, while the central figure’s headdress is entirely black, obscuring his face. All three figures are shod in matching red footwear, which provides a visual link between them despite their otherwise stark differences.
The artist has employed a limited palette, primarily utilizing blue, ochre, white, black, and red. The application of paint appears deliberate, with broad strokes contributing to the overall flatness of the image. There is an absence of traditional perspective or shading; instead, forms are presented as solid planes of color.
The arrangement of the figures suggests a collective identity, yet their individual characteristics – particularly the contrasting headwear – hint at potential differences in status or affiliation. The obscured face of the central figure introduces an element of mystery and perhaps even anonymity, suggesting a broader representation rather than a portrait of a specific person.
Given the context of early Soviet Russia, one might interpret these figures as representing rural laborers or peasants – a common subject matter during that period. However, the stylized rendering and lack of individualized features elevate them beyond mere depictions of individuals; they become symbolic representations of a social class undergoing profound transformation. The division in the background could be read as symbolizing the ideological divisions within society at the time.
The painting’s overall effect is one of austere formality and quiet dignity. It avoids sentimentality, instead presenting a stark and somewhat enigmatic vision of collective identity and societal change.