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Lubov Sergeyevna POPOVA

Born 1889, Ivanovskoe village, near Moscow - Died 1924, Moscow

Painter, graphic artist, theatre and textile designer

Paintings & Graphic Work       Theatre        Design        Biography        

Note: for a few works on this page the State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki, have graciously shared their images with me. The Museum official website is found at: www.greekstatemuseum.com. I have but cleaned the images up a bit.
Additional work by this artist may be found at the Mass and Agit Art category.
Viewed Most Often

Italian Still Life. 1914.

Traveler. 1915.

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

A Sitting Woman. 1914.

Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's
Professional Garments) #5. 1921.

Current Panel: Total Panels:

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Paintings and Graphic Work

Landscape With a Red House and a Laundress. 1908.

Oil on canvas, 38.5x49 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Landscape With Female Figures. 1908.

Oil on canvas, 34.5x43.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Bridge At Ivanovskoie Village. 1908.

Oil on canvas, 48.5x38.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Still Life.

Oil on canvas, 53x70.5 cm.
Collection of Costakis. Image courtesy of State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki.

Model. Drawing. Early 1910s.

Penci on paper, 35.5x22.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Trees. 1911-1912.

Oil on canvas, 60.5x47.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

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Apples and Drapery. 1911-1912.

Oil on canvas, 60.5x47.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Cityscape With a Chimney. 1912.

Penci on paper, 24x31 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Composition With Figures. 1913.

Oil on canvas, 157x123 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Study of Standing Nude Figure. 1913.

Oil on canvas, 106x71 cm.

Seated Nude Figure. Sketch for "Man + Air + Space". 1913.

Oil on canvas, 106x87 cm.
Collection of P.Ludwig, Koln.

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Man + Air + Space. 1913.

Oil on canvas, 125x107 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

Italian Still Life. 1914.

Oil on canvas, cast, paper, 62.2x48.6 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Clock. 1914.

Oil on canvas, wallpaper, 88x70 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Guitar. 1914.

Oil on canvas, 88x70 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Seated Figure. 1914.

Pencil on paper, 26.9x21.2 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

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A Sitting Woman. 1914.

Pencil on paper, 21.6x16.8 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

Nude Female Torso. 1914.

Pencil on paper, 26.8x20.6 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

Still Life. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 54x36 cm.
Nizhegorodsky Art Museum.

Violin. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 88.5x70.5 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Portrait of a Lady (Plastic Painting). 1915.

Relief, paper, cardboard, oil, 66x3x48.5 cm.
Collection of P.Ludwig, Koln.

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Pitcher on the table (Plastic Painting). 1915.

Relief, wood, cardboard, oil, 59.1x3x45.3 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Objects. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 61x44.5 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

Sketch for a portrait. 1915.

Oil on cardboard, 58.5x42.5 cm.
Tula District Art Museum.

Drawing for "Portrait of a Philosopher". 1915.

Indian ink on cardboard, 52x38 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Portrait of a Philosopher. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 89x63 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

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A Traveling Woman. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 158.5x123 cm.
Collection of G.Costaki, Athens.

Traveler. 1915.

Oil on canvas, 142.2x105.4 cm.
Norton Simon Art Foundation.

A Lady With a Guitar. 1915.

Oil on cavnas, 107x71.5 cm.
Smolensk State History and Art Museum-Reserve.

Pianist. 1915.

Oil on cavnas, 106.5x88.7 cm.
National Gallery of Canada.

Still Life With a Mask. 1915.

Oil and cast on cavnas, 33x50 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

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Sketch for Portrait. 1916.

Pencil and crayon on paper, 18x14 cm.
Collection of A.Gozak, Moscow.

Landscape. Birsk. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 105.2x69.6 cm.
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, New York. Donated by G.Costaki.

A Small Town On a River. 1916.

Watercolor, whitening, Indian ink on paper mounted on cardboard, 28.2x40 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

Landscape. Birsk. Houses. 1916.

Watercolor, pencil on paper, 33.8x20.6 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

Pictorial Architectonics With a Yellow Board. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 87.5x78 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

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Pictorial Architectonics With Three Stripes. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 91x78 cm.
Collection of E.Murina and D.Sarabyanov, Moscow.

Pictorial Architectonics. Sketch for "Still Life. Instruments". 1916.

Oil on canvas, 105.5x69.2 cm.
Thissen-Bornemisza collection, Lugano, Switzerland.

Still Life. Instruments. 1916.

Watercolor, Indian ink on cardboard, 33.6x24.6 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Grocery Store. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 71.5x53.5 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

Pictorial Architectonics. Portrait. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 53.5x44.5 cm.
Perm State Art Gallery.

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Pictorial Architectonics. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 106x88 cm.
Collection of Sarabyanov.

Non-objective Composition. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 35.5x31 cm.
Wilhelm-Hack Museum, Ludwigshafen.

Pictorial Architectonics (Black Red Gray). 1916.

Oil on canvas, 88.7x71 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1916.

Oil on canvas, 51x33 cm.
The State Russian Museum, St.Petersburg.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1917.

Oil on canvas, 70.5x48 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

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Pictorial Architectonics. 1917.

Oil on canvas, 53.5x40 cm.
Krasnoyarsk V.Surikov Art Museum.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1917.

Oil on canvas, 106x88 cm.
Krasnodar A.Lunacharsky Art Museum.

Composition. From the series "Six Prints by L.Popova". 1917.

Color lythography on paper, 34.5x26 cm.
Tula District Art Museum.

Untitled. From the series "Six Prints by L.Popova". 1917.

Linocut with watercolor, gouache on paper, 34.5x26.2 cm.
Museum of Modern Art, New York.

Untitled. From the series "6 Prints by L.Popova". 1917.

Linocut with watercolor, gouache on paper, 34.5x26.2 cm.
Museum of Modern Art, New York.

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Pictorial Architectonics. 1917.

Oil on canvas, 55x40 cm.
Krasnoyarsk V.Surikov Art Museum.

Pictorial Architectonics. Ca 1917.

Collage, color paper, 42.5x28.5 cm.
Collection of A.P.Gozak.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1917.

Gouache on paper, 31x22.2 cm.
Collection of Sarabyanov.

Untitled. 1917.

Collage on paper, 32.5x24 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Non-objective Composition. 1917.

Oil on canvas, 72.5x34.4 cm.
Private collection.

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Pictorial Architectonics. Ca 1917.

Oil on canvas, 70.5x70.5 cm.
Thissen-Bornemisza collection, Lugano, Switzerland.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1918.

Oil on canvas, 58x53 cm.
The State Art Museum, Nizhny Novgorod.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1918.

Oil on cardboard, 60x39.5 cm.
Art Museum, Dallas.

Pictorial Architectonics in Orange. 1918.

Oil on canvas, 59x39.3 cm.
Yaroslavl Art Museum.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1918.

Oil on canvas, 105x80 cm.
Slobodskoi District Museum.

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Pictorial Architectonics. 1917-1918.

Watercolor on paper, 33x24 cm.
The Rostov-Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve.

Non-objective Composition. 1917-1918.

Gouache on paper, 44.5x30 cm.
Private collection, UK.

Architectonic Construction. 1918.

Oil on plywood, 52x44.5 cm.
Private collection, UK.

Architectonic Construction. 1918.

Oil on canvas, 45x53 cm.
Thissen-Bornemisza collection, Lugano, Switzerland.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1918.

Oil on cardboard, 59x39.5 cm.
Yaroslavl Art Museum.

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Non-objective Composition. 1918.

Oil on canvas, 73x49 cm.
The Rostov-Yaroslavl Museum-Reserve.

Composition. 1917-1919.

Watercolor, gouache on paper, 34.5x27 cm.
Collection of A.P.Gozak.

Composition. 1919.

Watercolor, Indian ink on paper, 34.2x25.5 cm.
Yaroslavl Art Museum.

Dynamic Construction. 1919.

Oil on canvas.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Drawing, Attached to Popova's Answer To Kandinsky's Form on Color. Page 6. 1920.

Whitening on cardboard, 19.2x27.6 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

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Drawing, Attached to Popova's Answer To Kandinsky's Form on Color. Page 3. 1920.

Gouache on paper, 17.5x41.3 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Drawing, Attached to Popova's Answer To Kandinsky's Form on Color. Page 4. 1920.

Watercolor on paper, 21x27 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Drawing, Attached to Popova's Answer To Kandinsky's Form on Color. Page 5. 1920.

Gouache on paper, 17.7x42.2 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Untitled. 1920.

Collage of paper, 30x23.2 cm.
Leonard Hutton Gallery, New York.

Still Life With a White Vase. 1920.

Gouache on paper, 33x26.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

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Pictorial Construction. 1920.

Oil on canvas, 159x125 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Pictorial Architectonics. 1920.

Linocut, 24.5x18.4 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Construction. 1920.

Oil on canvas, 106x8x88.7 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Construction With a White Crescent. 1920-1921.

Gouache on cardboard, 33.5x27 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Composition. 1921.

Gouache on paper, 34.3x27.5 cm.
Art Company Ltd, collection of G.Costaki, Germany.

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Spacial-Power Construction #175. 1920-1921.

Wood, oil, marble powder, 112.6x112.7 cm.
Art Company Ltd, collection of G.Costaki, Germany.

Spacial-Power Construction. 1921.

Oil and metallic powder on wood, 70x51.6 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow.

Constructural Composition. 1921.

Wood, oil, 93x61.5 cm.
Collection of Roalde Dale, Buckinghamshire.

Composition. 1921.

Plywood, oil, 70x52 cm.
Primorskaya Picture Gallery, Vladivostok..

Catalogue Cover for Exhibition "5x5=25". 1921.

Watercolor, Indian ink, crayon, applique 23.1x15.6 cm.
The State Scientific-Research Museum of Architecture, Moscow.

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Composition. 1921.

Gouache on cardboard, 34.2x27.8 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

Spacial-Power Construction. 1921.

Plywood, parquet boards, oil, 73x63 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Spacial-Power Construction. 1921.

Plywood, parquet boards, oil, 124x82.3 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Spacial-Power Construction. 1921.

Plywood, parquet boards, oil, 83.4x65.7 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Head. 1920s.

Pencil on paper, 33.3x24.4 cm.
Nukus Art Museum, Kara-Kalpakian Autonomy Republic, Kazakhstan. Donated in 1972 by I.Zhdanko.

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Theatre

Balda. Costume Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Watercolor on paper, 50.5x35.6 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

Priest's Wife. Costume Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Watercolor on paper, 54.6x34.3 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

Balda in a Hat. Costume Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Watercolor on paper, 54.6x34.3 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

Devil. Costume Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Watercolor, gouache on paper, 50.5x35.6 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

The Priest's Daughter. Costume Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Gouache on paper, 52x33.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

The Blue Horse. Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda" by A.S.Pushkin. 1919.

Gouache on paper.

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Curtain Design For "Tale of the Priest and His Workman Balda". 1919.

Collage of paper and gouache on cardboard, 60.3x71.3 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

The Garden In Front Of The House. Study For The Set For "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare. 1920.

Gouache on paper, 23.2x35 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Romeo's Servant. Costume Design for "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare. 1920.

India ink and gouache on paper.

Woman Costume Design for "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare. 1920.

India ink and gouache on paper.

Square In Verona. Set Design Sketch for "Romeo and Juliet" by W.Shakespeare. 1920.

Pencil on paper.

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Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #2. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1921.

Black&White rendition.

Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #3. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1921.

Indian Ink, gouache, colored ink, lacquer, collage, 33x25.3 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #4. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1921.

Black&White rendition.

Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #5. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1921.

Pencil, colored wax, paper, 35.5x30.7 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #6. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1922.

Indian Ink, gouache, paper, collage, 32.7x23.8 cm.
Art Company Ltd, collection of G.Costaki, Germany.

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Prozodezhda Actera (The Actor's Professional Garments) #7. Costume Design For "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold. 1921.

Indian Ink, gouache, colored ink, lacquer, paper, collage, 32.8x23.3 cm.
Merill Berman collection, New York.

Set Design for production "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold After The Farce by F.Krommelink. 1922.

Collage, bone, feather, paper, 50x69.2 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Set Design for production "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold After The Farce by F.Krommelink. 1922.

Black watercolor, red wax, pencil on paper, 20x24.8 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Set Model for production "The Magnanimous Cuckold" by V.S.Meierkhold After The Farce by F.Krommelink. 1922.

A.Bakhrushin State Central Theatre Museum, Moscow

A Lady in Blue Hood. Costume Design for "Kanzler i Slesar" ("The Kanzler and the Locksmith") after the play by A.Lunacharsky. 1921.

Watercolor, pencil on paper, 33x22.2 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

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A Man in Green. Costume Design for "Kanzler i Slesar" ("The Kanzler and the Locksmith") after the play by A.Lunacharsky. 1921.

Watercolor, pencil on paper, 35.6x26 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

Locksmith. Costume Design for "Kanzler i Slesar" ("The Kanzler and the Locksmith") after the play by A.Lunacharsky. 1921.

Gouache on cardboard, 44.5x23.2 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Set Design for "Kanzler i Slesar" ("The Kanzler and the Locksmith") after the play by A.Lunacharsky. 1921.

Gouache on paper, 46x37.2 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Woman's Costume for "Zhretz Tarkvinny" after the play by S.Polivanov. Theatre "Atheist", Moscow. 1922.

Watercolor on paper, 57.8x40.7 cm.
Nikita & Nina Lobanov-Rostovsky, London.

Warrior. Costume for "Zhretz Tarkvinny" after the play by S.Polivanov. Theatre "Atheist", Moscow. 1922.

Gouache on paper, 58.5x41 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Priest. Costume for "Zhretz Tarkvinny" after the play by S.Polivanov. Theatre "Atheist", Moscow. 1922.

Gouache on paper.

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Design

Embroidery design for Verbovka. 1917.

Collage on gray cardboard, 8.7x16.5 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Design For a Banner For VSP Club (All-Russian Union of Poets). 1920.

Watercolor, pencil and indian ink on paper, 14.3x76.8 cm.
The State Tretyakov Gallery, Moscow. Donated by G.Costaki.

Design For Teacup and Saucer. 1922.

Gouache on cardboard, 34.4x25.9 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

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Textile Design. 1923.

 

Textile Design. 1923.

Gouache, Indian ink on paper, 13.4xx10.2 cm.
The State History-Architecture, Art and Nature Museum "Tzaritzino".

Textile Design. 1923.

Gouache, Indian ink on paper, 13.4xx10 cm.
The State History-Architecture, Art and Nature Museum "Tzaritzino".

Textile Design. 1923.

 

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Textile Design. 1923.

 

Textile Design. 1923.

 

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

 

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

 

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

 

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Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

Chinese ink and gouache on cardboard, 24xx10.4 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.
Reconstruction by E.Khudiakova (1985), who also models the dress.

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

 

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

The State History-Architecture, Art and Nature Museum "Tzaritzino".
Reconstruction by E.Khudiakova (1985), who also models the dress.

Sketch of a Dress. 1923.

Chinese ink and gouache on cardboard, 25.3xx14.1 cm.
Private collection, Moscow.

Sketch of a Coat and a Suit of Thick Flannelette. 1923.

Gouache, Indian ink, pencil on paper, 23.8xx16.6 cm.
The State History-Architecture, Art and Nature Museum "Tzaritzino".

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Textile Sample. 1923-1924.

State Tretiakov Gallery, Moscow. Gift of George Costakis.

Textile Design. 1923-1924.

Gouache on paper, 28.2x34.9 cm.
Collection of Costakis, State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki.

Textile Design. 1923-1924.

Ink on paper, 14.1x19.6 cm.
Collection of Costakis. Image courtesy of State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki.

Textile Design. 1923-1924.

Gouache and Ink on paper, 23.6x14.3 cm.
Collection of Costakis. Image courtesy of State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki.

Embroidered book cover. 1923-1924.

Embroydered fabric, 31.5x45.8 cm.
Collection of Costakis. Image courtesy of State Museum of Contemporary Art - Costakis Collection, Thessaloniki.

Paintings and Graphic Work       Theatre        Design        Biography
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Biography:

Lubov Sergeevna Popova was born April 24th 1889 in Ivanovskoe village, in a family of a merchant, a rising businessman in third generation. Like many others of their class, this family has actively surrounded itself with education, culture, art and music. The Popov family produced several musicians, artists and academicians.

In early childhood Lubov Popova had private tutors, until the family moved to Yalta in 1902, where she attended the Gymnasium. In 1906 they moved to Moscow, where she was to live her entire short life. Popova has attended a two-year course with Alferov, which covered the program of the Filological Faculty at the Moscow University.

Portrait by A.Rodchenko, 1924

Little is known of the artist early art education, in her school years. However, in the following decade and a half her art goes through creative evolution that could be enough for a few generations! This is characteristic for the Russian Avant-garde artists of the time, but in this artist is particularly evident.

In 1907 Lubov enroled into S.Zhukovsky private studio, and then into the school of K.Yuon and I.Dudin, where teaching was set at a high level. Here the artist met her lifelong friend Ludmila Prudkovskaya, younger sister of Nadezhda Udaltzova.

In 1909 Popova has visited Kiev, where she was exposed to old Russian art and Vrubel's paintings. Both made a deep impression on the young artist.

In 1910 Popova traveled with her family to Italy, where she enjoys the 14th-15th century painting. Then she visited Pskov and Novgorod, and in 1911 Rostov Veliky, YAroslavl, Pereslavl-Zalessky and Kiev again. The artist at this time was still very much taken with the old Russian art, the icon painting, the architecture.

Upon return, she worked in V.Tatlin's studio "Tower" with V.Bart and K.Zdanevich, and also in Tatlin's workshop with N.Udaltzova, V.Khodasevich, A.Morgunov and A.Vesnin. She was drawing intensively, hundreds of drawings in three main categories: models, still life and trees. The artist works tirelessly on these in as many variations as possible, learning the construction, the form of her object, searching for its clean basic rules.

The women from left: N.Udaltzova,
her sister, Lubov Popova. 1915.

 

In 1912 Popova has set out for an extended visit to Paris to study French Cubism, where she was joined by her friends N.Udaltzova, S.Karetnikova and V.Pestel. Popova and Udaltzova remained for a while in paris, enrolling into the academy "La Pallette" taught by Jean Metzinger, Henri Le Fauconnier and Andre Dunoyer de Segonzac. These several months of intense study laid the basis for the artist's later search and development of her highly recognizable, idividual style.

The works from 1913-1915 reflect deep study of the same forms in a new way of understanding. Here we see models, still life, landscapes in an evolving individual form of Cubism together with expressive search for the perfect color ballance. The form, the construction of objects is the important thing, while the actual physical meaning is only important for the association, the mental connection with the familiar.

In 1914 Popova together with V.Mukhina and I.Burmeister goes abroad again, extensively visiting Paris and the cities of Italy.

Altough she has participated in several exhibitions since 1910, among them with the group of the Jack (Knave) of Diamonds, in the years 1915-1916 her works were the most exhibited.

She worked in the sphere of Cubo-Futurism, alongside other renowned artists, who like her all had their own interpretation of this approach. Slowly the objects and figures in her work flatten out from three-dimensional beginning until they become the Constructivism of her "Pictorial Architectonics" of late 1910s. However, the artist was searching for a way to create an alternative spacial illusion in the painting itself, bringng it into relief by use of cast, various powders and collages of different media.

The "Portrait of Philisopher", the two "Traveler" paintings may be considered the peak of Popova's Cubo-Futurism work, realizing in harmony and wholeness of form and color, endlessly intriguing the viewer. Many sketches and preparatory works precede these creations, trying out the various methods, culminating in this masterful use of the ones that worked best.

The first Pictorial Architectonic is dated 1915. From 1916 this new stage in the artist's creative evolution unrolls fully, with only a few "last" figurative landscapes, a genre which was not seen for several years. In these the very sights of nature which inspired the painting echo strongly through the Constructivism of form and color, whereas in the Pictorial Architectonics they remain as memory.

About the path to non-objective art Popova writes: "After Cubism (problem of form) folows Futurism (problem of movement and color); after the principal of detaching parts of an object follows the need for the very abstraction of the object; that is the path to non-objective art. The visual problem is replaced by the problem of color and line construction (Post-Cubism) and color (Suprematism)".

It may be stated that the artist has seen herself in the Post-Cubism stage, not the Suprematism. Popova has never been in the circle of Malevich's followers. She had a close association and shared a studio with Tatlin, who was opposed to Malevich. The artist has followed the path to non-objective art in her own way, not that of Malevich's school. However, she was closer to his solution than to that of Kandinsky's Expressionism of Larionov's Rayonism.

This said, it must be noted that Popova belonged to a group of artists many of whom turned to follow the great master and his new findings, and that the new discoveries could not fail to touch each artist of the time in some way.

Among the Pictorial Architectonics were over 40 paintings, all of which were painted in 1916-1918. In their composition of form remains the basic construction, the "architectonics" of reality.

After the revolution Popova with other artists joined the mass effort to reconstruct the new life with art. In 1917 Popova created a series of designs for embroidery for N.Davydova project "Verbovka". Then in 1918 together with A.Vesnin designed decoration of the MOSSSOVET building for May 1st festivities. She decorated cafe "Pittoresque".

In March 1918 Popova has married Boris fon Eding, an art historian. Then her son was born and she did almost no work in 1919. In the summer of 1919 the family went to Rostov-na-Donu, where her husband contracted tifus and died. Popova herself contracted the disease after him, and barely survived. She has returned to Moscow in November, with a grave cardiac disease and little strength for work. Her work of the period may be characterized by a sort of struggle between the color forms. They interact, collide, cut through one another. She turned to design work.

Portrait by A.Rodchenko, 1924

In 1918 Popova became member of IZO Narkompros and of the Union of Moscow Artists. Was a member of Jack of Diamonds group and of "Supremus" group.

In 1918-1923 she taught Color in VKhUTEMAS in Moscow. In 1920-1923 the artist was a member of the Institute of Art Culture under Kandisky, where she worked in the monumental art section. She taught in the Meierkhold theatrical workshops.

In 1921 the artist recovered and began working fully again. She created Spacial-Power Constructions, the last of her painting work, while she passed more and more to the realm of design and applied art and less painting. In these works appear hints of the industrial construction: heavy beams, wheels, tight ropes. This is also the way she designed for production "The Magnanimous Cuckold" in V.S.Meierkhold theatre. Her "Prozodezhda" (professional clothes) for actors is fully industrialized and intended for everyday wear, not scene performance.

Lubov Popova and Varvara Stepanova.

That year she and her colleagues at the Institute of Art Culture have decided to no longer return to painting, but devote their creative energy fully to the realm of industrial art. Their goal was bringing the art down to the people, integrate it into their very everyday life.

in the years 1921-1924 Popova continued to work closely with V.Stepanova in the Constructivism style creating fabric and fashionable clothes designs, she illustrated books and participated in mass educational poster and journal creation, designed for theatre. Everywhere her art is unique, expressive, new and full of life.

In 1924 Lubov Popova and her small son have suddely contacted scarlet fever and died. She was 35 years old.

Her artistic life was short, only a couple of decades. But her talent and passionate nature left such a powerful impact, that hers is one of the leading names and the most recognizable manners in the whole Russian Avant-garde movement.

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