Artwork
Μελέτη για τη σειρά "Έξι έγχρωμες λιθογραφίες"
Μελέτη για τη σειρά "Έξι έγχρωμες λιθογραφίες" is a drawing by Liubov Popova. It dates from 1917 and is held in the collection of the Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus.
About this work
Simple rectangles and circles in red, blue, and yellow float in a quiet space.
This drawing shows flat colored shapes on a white background. Simple rectangles and circles in red, blue, and yellow float in a quiet space. The lines are sharp and clean.
Popova used these shapes to test ideas for a print series. She played with balance and color, not trying to show real things. Her work sits between Cubo-Futurism and something new.
You might like the artist’s later paintings. Look up Popova, Liubov (1889-1924).
Overview
Liubov Popova’s drawing, created as a study for a series of six colour lithographs, presents flat geometric forms—rectangles and circles—in primary hues against a stark white field. Executed around 1919, the work exemplifies her transition from Cubo‑Futurist experiments toward a distinctly abstract visual language that emphasizes balance and colour over representation.
Subject & Meaning
The composition does not depict recognizable objects; instead, it investigates the interaction of simple shapes and primary colours. By arranging red, blue, and yellow elements in a quiet, floating configuration, Popova explores visual equilibrium and the expressive potential of colour relationships, treating the canvas as a field for formal inquiry rather than narrative content.
Technique & Style
Rendered with precise, clean lines, the drawing employs flat areas of pigment without shading, reinforcing its two‑dimensional character. This approach aligns with early Suprematist tendencies, though Popova avoided labeling the work as such. The emphasis on geometric abstraction and the stark contrast between colour and background reflect her interest in the structural possibilities of line and plane.
History & Provenance
The piece belongs to the Museum of Modern Art’s Costakis Collection, which acquired many of Popova’s works from the Russian avant‑garde. Created during a period of intense experimentation (1917‑1919), it sits alongside other untitled studies and the later “Painterly Architectonics” series, marking a pivotal moment in her artistic development.
Context
Popova’s study emerges at the crossroads of Cubo‑Futurism and the nascent Suprematist movement. While she incorporated geometric colour forms reminiscent of Suprematism, she deliberately omitted the term from titles, signalling a nuanced position within the avant‑garde’s evolving discourse on abstraction and spatial dynamics.
Artist & collection
Museum
Metropolitan Organisation of Museums of Visual Arts of Thessaloniki – MOMus
Continue through works from the same source collection.
