Artwork
Crystal
Crystal is an oil painting by the Suprematist artist Mikhail Matyushin. It dates from 1919 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.
About this work
Overview
Created in 1919, *Crystal* is an oil painting by Mikhail Matyushin, a Russian artist who worked at the intersection of visual art and music. The work exemplifies his involvement with the avant‑garde circles of the early Soviet period and is currently part of the Tretyakov Gallery’s collection.
Subject & Meaning
Matyushin’s interest in synesthetic connections informs the composition, which seeks to translate musical ideas into visual form. The title suggests a crystalline structure, evoking clarity and resonance, while the abstract arrangement invites viewers to consider how sound can be perceived through shape and color.
Technique & Style
The canvas is executed in oil, employing the flat, non‑representational geometry typical of Suprematism. Simple, intersecting planes and sharp angles dominate the surface, emphasizing pure visual sensation over narrative content and reflecting the movement’s focus on basic geometric abstraction.
History & Provenance
After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the Tretyakov Gallery, where it has remained on public display. Its acquisition aligns with the museum’s effort to preserve key works of early 20th‑century Russian avant‑garde art.
Context
Matyushin was a prominent member of the Union of the Youth, a collective that promoted radical artistic experimentation after the 1917 Revolution. *Crystal* embodies the period’s drive to dissolve boundaries between artistic disciplines, situating the work within broader experiments that linked painting, music, and theory.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Michael Vasilyevich Matyushin (Russian: Михаил Васильевич Матюшин; 1861 in Nizhny Novgorod – 14 October 1934 in Leningrad) was a Russian painter and composer, leading member of the Russian avant-garde.
