10 meanings of the "Black Square"

Casimir Malevich's famous canvas is a quarrel or encrypted philosophical message?

On December 5, an exhibition "Kazimir Malevich." The Russian Museum in St. Petersburg opens in St. Petersburg. Before and after the square. " The famous picture divided into two segments not only the life of the artist, but also all modern art.

On the one hand, it is completely optional to be a great artist to draw a black square on a white background. Yes, anyone can so! But here is the mystery: "Black Square" is the most famous picture in the world. Already almost 100 years have passed since its writing, and disputes and stormy discussions are not stopped.

Why is this happening? What is the true meaning and value of the "Black Square" Malevich?

"Black Square" is a dark rectangle

Let's start with the fact that the "black square" is not at all black and not at all square: none of the sides of the quadrangle is not parallel to any other side of it, and not one of the sides of the square frame, which the picture is framed. And dark color is the result of mixing various colors, among which it was not black. It is believed that it was not the negligence of the author, but a fundamental position, the desire to create a dynamic, moving form.

Casimir Malevich "Black Suprematic Square", 1915

"Black Square" is a failed picture

For a futuristic exhibition "0.10", opened in St. Petersburg on December 19, 1915, Malevich was supposed to write several paintings. Time has already been pressed, and the artist either did not have time to finish the picture to the exhibition, whether it was not pleased with the result and, sneaking, stuck it, drawing a black square. At this point, one of his friends came to the workshop and, seeing the picture, shouted "ingenious!". After that, Malevich decided to take advantage of the case and invented a certain sense to his "black square".

Hence the effect of cramped paint on the surface. No mysticism, just did not work the picture.

Attempts have repeatedly performed to explore the cloth for finding the initial version under the top layer. However, scientists, critics and tempts considered that the masterpiece could be caused by irreparable damage and impede further examinations.

"Black Square" is a multicolored cube

Kazimir Malevich repeatedly stated that the picture was created by them under the influence of the unconscious, some "cosmic consciousness". Some argue that only a square in the Black Square see people with a weak imagination. If, when considering this picture, go beyond the traditional perception, go beyond the visible, then you will understand that you are not black square, but a multicolored cube.

The secret meaning invested in the "Black Square" can then be formulated as follows: the world around us, only on the first, superficial, looks like flat and black and white. If a person will perceive the world volume and in all of the world, his life will change dramatically. Millions of people who, according to them, instinctively attracted to this picture, subconsciously felt the bulk and multicoloriness of the Black Square.

Black color absorbs all other colors, so see in the black square multicolored cube is quite difficult. And see the black white, the truth behind the day, for the death of life is more complicated many times. But to the one who succeeds to do this, the Great Philosophical Formula will open.

"Black Square" is a riot in art

At the time of the appearance of the picture in Russia was the dominant of the artists of the Kubist school. Cubism reached its apogee, already fed to all artists, and new artistic directions began to appear. One of these directions was Malevich's Suprematism and "Black Suprematic Square" as his bright embodiment. The term "Suprematism" occurred from Latin Suprem, which means dominance, superiority of color over all the other painting properties. Supramat paintings are impossible painting, an act of "pure creativity."

At the same time were created and exposured at the same exhibition "Black Circle" and "Black Cross", representing three basic elements of the spamatic system. Later, two more suprematic squares were created - red and white.

"Black Square", "Black Circle" and "Black Cross"

Suprematism became one of the central phenomena of the Russian avant-garde. His influence experienced many talented artists. It is concerned that Picasso cooled to the cubism after he saw the "Malevich Square".

"Black Square" is an example of a brilliant PR

Kazimir Malevich has crushed the essence of the future of contemporary art: no matter what, most importantly, how to file and sell.

Artists experimented with black "solid", starting with the XVII century. The first tightly black work of art called "Great Darkness" wrote Robert Fladd in 1617, Bertal followed him in 1843 and his work "View on La Hougue (under the cover of the night)". More than two hundred years. And then almost without breaks - the "Twilight History of Russia" Gustava Dore in 1854, "Negro's night fight in the basement" Paul Bilhold in 1882, quite already plagiarism "Battle of blacks in a cave of deep at night" for the authorship of Alphonse Alla. And only in 1915 Kazimir Malevich presented his "Black Suprematic Square" to the public. And it is his picture known to everyone, while other familiar knows the historians of the arts. Extravagant leakage glorified Malevich in centuries.

Subsequently, Malevich drew at least four versions of his "black square", differing in the pattern, texture and color in the hope of repeating and multiply the success of the picture.

"Black Square" is a political course

Kazimir Malevich was a subtle strategist and skillfully adjusted under the changing situation in the country. Numerous black squares drawn by other artists during the Tsarist Russia and remained unnoticed. In 1915, Malevich's square acquired a completely new actual meaning: the artist offered a revolutionary art for the benefit of the new people and the new era.

"Square" to art in his usual understanding has no almost no relationship. The very fact of his writing is the declaration of the end of traditional art. The Bolshevik from Culture, Malevich went to meet the new government, and he believed him. Before the arrival of Stalin Malevich, he held honorable posts and successfully passed to the People's Commissar from the drug addict.

"Black Square" is a refusal of content

The picture marked the obvious transition to the realization of the role of formalism in visual arts. Formalism is a refusal of literal content in favor of artistic form. The artist, drawing a picture, thinks not so much the concepts of "context" and "content", how much "balance", "perspective", "dynamic tension". What Malevich acknowledged and did not recognize his contemporaries, is de facto for modern artists and "just a square" for all others.

"Black Square" is a challenge to Orthodoxy

The picture was first introduced at the Futuristic exhibition "0.10" in December 1915. Together with the other 39 works of Malevich. "Black Square" hung in the most prominent place, in the so-called "red corner", where icons hung in Russian houses according to the righteous traditions. There are critics-art historians "stumbled". Many perceived the picture as the challenge of Orthodoxy and the Antichristian gesture. The largest artistic critic of that time Alexander Benua wrote: "Undoubtedly, this is the icon that the Lord Futurists put in return Madonna."

Exhibition "0.10". Petersburg. December 1915.

"Black Square" is a crisis of ideas in art

Malevich call almost a guru of modern art and accused of the death of traditional culture. Today, any umbrella can call himself an artist and declare that his "works" have the highest artistic value.

The art of healing itself and many critics converge in the opinion that after the "black square" anything outstanding has not been created. Most artists of the twentieth century lost inspiration, many were in prisons, references or emigration.

"Black Square" is a total emptiness, a black hole, death. They say that Malevich, writing "Black Square", for a long time spoke to everyone that he could neither eat or sleep. And he does not understand what this did. Subsequently, he wrote 5 volumes of philosophical reflections on the topic of art and being.

"Black Square" is a quarrel

Charlatans are successfully fascinated by the public, forcing it to believe that there is really no. Those who do not believe them, they declare stupid, backward and not understanding stupid, who is not available high and beautiful. This is called the "Effect of the Golly King". Everyone is ashamed to say that it is garbage, because you will learn.

And the maximum primitive drawing is a square - you can attribute some kind of deep meaning, the space for human imagination is simply boundless. Not understanding what the great meaning of the "black square", many people need to come up with him to make it anything to admire when viewing the painting.

Self-portrait. Artist. 1933.

The picture written by Malevich in 1915 remains perhaps the most discussed picture in Russian painting. For someone, "Black Square" is a rectangular trapezium, and for someone - this is a deep philosophical message that entertained the great artist. Similarly, looking at the slice of the sky in the square of the window, everyone thinks about her. What did you think about you?

The picture "Black Square" Casimir Malevich (1879-1935) is one of the most famous works of the art of the last century. She was written in 1915 and became a turning point in the development of the Russian avant-garde. The author of the painting is considered the creator of a new direction in painting - Suprematism, which has become a real challenge to everything that was before in the visual arts.

Picture that attracts attention

Despite the seeming simplicity, the picture "Black Square" always attracts great attention to itself and occupies a special place in the exhibition space. Malevich wrote that Suprematism can be divided into three stages, according to its three squares, it is black, red and white. The most remarkable of the three was the picture "Black Square". It was written neatly, single black tone, without smears and divorces.

Malevich's philosophy was founded on all that accumulated in the literature and the art of that period, and at the same time she was against the fact that he tried earlier. The result was the emergence of a new visual religion, in which the initial point was reflected on the dial - zero. A whole concept was created - from cubism to suprematism.

Cheeky call

The picture "Black Square" with its harsh simplicity and openness of the challenge for other visual forms caused a real storm in the world of art. The purity and clarity of Casimir Malevich became a revolutionary new way of perception and sowed the confusion in the ranks of the intelligentsia, which adhered to the traditional image of thinking. It was an attempt to approve a new world order, which sets the complex tasks of the transcoding of the world and start communicating at a previously unknown cosmic language. Malevich even called himself as president of space.

Clear sense of space

Suprematic paintings by the author embody a clear feeling of space. Thick local colors are fighting between themselves in a state of full plastic harmony. White background is always clean and undeveloped, and shifted pictures shown on it are fulfilled with chastity and ease. The absence of heavy frames enhances the feeling of lightness and flight in space.

Malevich's picture "Black Square" was a key point in his painting and became the subject of endless conversations and disputes. Students and like-minded artist adopted his revelation with delight and understanding, and soon they themselves began to create works reflecting the overwhelming influence of the wizard. Malevich's painting "Black Square" on a white background became a symbol, the main element in the Suprematism system, step into new art.

The author of his work

Malevich said that in 1913, in a desperate attempt to free art from ballast objectivity, he fell in square form and showed a picture that consisted only from a black square on white canvas. Critics and the public only sighed, because everything they loved, they felt in the desert ... before them was only a black square on a white background!

Malevich defeated that the square turned out to be incomprehensible and dangerous for critics and the public ... But he expected it: the contours of the objective world disappeared more and more, and so on, step by step, until, finally, the world and everything that loved and Lived, lost sight. But the desert is filled with the spirit of a biased sensation that permeates everything. The blissful feeling of liberation of the bias attracted the artist back to the desert, where there is nothing real, except feeling ... so the feeling became the main thing in his life.

Black square is a feeling

This is not just an empty square, it is, according to the author, rather a sense of binding. Suprematism is a requisite of pure art, which has become noticeable over time due to the accumulation of things. But nature and the meaning of artistic creativity continue to be misunderstood, because the feeling, in the end, always and everywhere is the only source of all creation. Emotions that ignite in man is stronger than the person himself.

Pictures of Casimir Malevich: "Black Square"

Such titles as the "dead square" and "emptiness" were given critics. For Malevich, however, this square symbolizes the feeling, and the full emptiness personifies the white field around the figure. The author does not concentrate on a specific subject and refers to the purity of mathematical geometry.

However, the "black square" is not as simple as it seems. Even taking the art of a zero degree, Malevich makes the installation on the tense perception of the pattern, which can be found in two ways, or this is a black square on a white background, or this is a black hole surrounded by white border. Each object has a static facade and internal dynamics. This is the description of the painting "Black Square".

Revolutionary symbol and dynamic suprematism

So what is Suprematism? The concept created by Malevich, primarily reflects the superiority of the color in painting. The artist took geometric shapes, limited to the palette and created a special focus on the painted forms that exist on canvas in its pure form, without scenes, landscapes and people.

The picture "Black Square" Malevich (photos can be seen in the article) is not the first in a new movement, there was a completely different type of object, rather than before. Despite the authlation of the author in the fact that it was the first suprematic picture, the so-called pure zero, a clean beginning, modern science and X-rays can shed light on this dark story.

The history of the painting "Black Square"

It was in the middle of the First World War, after the 1905 revolution, during the ongoing riots. Just a few years after writing the painting, in 1917, the Bolshevik uprising and the Great October Revolution will break up.

The picture "Black Square" (the photo further can be seen in the article) appeared at the time when Russian society, although it was familiar with the Cubism and futuristic works, did not come across works like this. It was difficult to submit the Malevich artistic revolution separately from the social revolution, which took place at the time in society. The artist was not going to depict some particular and real thing - it was a sign of a new era.

At the exhibition of futuristic painting

When Malevich presented his black square at the futuristic painting exhibition, which took place in Petrograd in December 1915, he was interested in demonstrating Suprematism and his new idea. The work was placed high on the wall in the corner of the room, where the picture "Black Square" Malevich meant something more than just picture. It was the most sacred place where the Orthodox icon was hung in the traditional Russian house, people in Petrograd were not exception. Malevich wanted to give his work a special spiritual meaning, make it a center for exposure and the most important emblem of his new style.

In its further activity, the artist has repeatedly returned to figurative painting, many of their works he signed a small black square. At his funeral, the grief kept the flags decorated with this symbol. One of the flags was fixed in the supramat style on the coffin of the deceased. On his monument not far from the lost place of burial depicts a black square.

The black square has become not only a business card of its creator, but also an art icon of the twentieth century.

Strange picture

More than a century passed since the work was written, but people still find her a bit strange. What is the meaning of the picture "Black Square"? Some see the window in her night or in the afterlife, others see just a black figure on a white canvas. Malevich intended to forever change the idea of \u200b\u200bpainting to present a reality in a more intriguing light, to do something simple and unbelievable, but at the same time revolutionary. The legendary work that marked the beginning of impreit art was exhibited for the first time on December 7, 1915.

Where is the picture "Black Square" today? There were several of them, the first work (1913) and the third (1923) are stored in the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow, and the second (1923) is in the Russian Museum in St. Petersburg.

All secret becomes clear

Why is such a mysterious work that Kazimir Malevich wrote is "Black Square"? The meaning of the picture for some seems infinitely deep, and someone does not see him there. It turns out that the two images are hidden under the famous masterpiece. In November 2015, it became known that not only one, as previously thought, but in the whole two color paintings are hidden under a black square.

Scientists have deciphered an inscription, which is believed to be left by Casimir Malevich. There were such words: "Battle of blacks in a dark cave." Surprisingly, a fact, a picture with such a name has already been written by the French artist Alfons Allais (1854-1905). It is likely that Malevich painted his creation over other images, but "black square" was, rather, manifesto, rather than painting, so everything connected with him looks like one big and dark mystery.

Kazimir Malevich: Man who freed painting

The famous artist was born in Ukraine, but had a Polish origin. In adolescence, he himself learned to draw, trying on the methods of folk art. In 1907, he moved to a permanent residence in Moscow. He studied realism, impressionism and symbolism, gradually detachable in the history of art.

The two collections of art from the West had important for its development. The works of Monet, Gauguen, Cesanna, Matisse and Picasso, inspired him even more in pursuit of avant-garde style, especially cubism and futurism were attracted. Then followed the period of isolation, which the World War I gave him. It was then that, cut off from external irritation, he was able to make a big step, which resulted in the appearance of a new direction - Suprematism.

New Understanding of Empirical Reality

His own essays have a complex theoretical base, because it uses such a brave abstract language with such an ease.

The artist's creativity was often associated with mysticism because of his literary interests. His books often wore a philosophical character. He was fascinated by ideas about the fourth dimension. However, on his perception of art, the critical influence of the Russian formalist of novel Jacobson and poetic innovations of twisted and Khlebnikov were revened. He shared with these poets his desire to blow up ordinary logic in order to come to a new understanding of empirical reality.

He was also obliged to also his colleagues - Artists Natalia Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov, who missed the passion for folk art and set an interest in the strength of the icons. As an artist, a teacher and revolutionary, Malevich sought to overturn the eyelid of painting, leaving his roots in Renaissance ideals. This art, as he said, was just aesthetic, in contrast to the Suprematism. It is argued that the author of the Black Square went further than Picasso or Matisse.

Kazimir Malevich was the founder of the artistic and philosophical school of Suprematism. His ideas about forms and sense in art are the theoretical foundations of free or abstract art. Malevich worked in various styles, but its most important and well-known works are focused on the study of pure geometric forms (squares, triangles and circles) and their attitude towards each other in the visual space.

"Black Square" - icon of the Russian avant-garde

Suprematism was one of the most influential directions in the abstract art of the twentieth century. It was characterized by simple geometric forms: a straight line, a rectangle, a circle, a square on a light background meant the infinity of the space. The ideas of Suprematism were successfully embodied in architecture, scenography, graphics and industrial design. Unlike many others, "... Igni", the names for which were invented postfactulum art historians, Suprematism is obliged to their birth, existence, development, theoretical justification, the promotion of mass and even speculative-space prospects for only one person - Kazimir Severinovich Malevich.

Suprematism is an art that struggles from the natural forms in the direction of geometric abstraction. The birth of a "black square" was not an act of rational consciousness or the result of a carefully planned strategy - his appearance was unexpected and mystical even for the artist himself. As one of his students recalls, he could neither eat or sleep for a whole week since he wrote a picture.

Such a simple picture could write and the child would be, although the children would not have the patience to fill such a large area in one color. This work could carry out any drawler, but the draftsmen are not interested in simple geometric forms. A similar picture can be made mentally ill, but if he had done it, it was unlikely that he would have the slightest chance to get to the exhibition and to be at the right time and in the right place. It was Malevich who became the author of the "Black Square", one of the most famous, mysterious and frightening works of art in the world.

The beginning of the twentieth century, France. World War I. Scientific and technical progress. In such a radical time, avant-garde appears - a set of currents, which change the essence of art radically, produce a revolution in it, in parallel to the complete change of traditions in society. Culmination of the vanguard reaches in Russia through abstractionism.

Abstractionism is the avant-garde course, the most ambiguous among the others. Henri Matisse, a French artist and sculptor, somehow uttered the phrase, which became the key to understanding impressionism and avant-garde to the question: "Accuracy is still not true".

If you explain abstractionism briefly, it is painting without recognizable images. It is color and geometric and strives for a certain idea - the liberation of color and form from subject reasonableness, motivation. Just look around and understand that the abstraction is everywhere. Pure blue sky. We look upstairs and see only color. Sunset. Glare and shadows are color and geometry. Sea. Forest. Even wallpaper, table. All this abstraction.

Classic artists, such as Ilya Repin and Ivan Shishkin, color and geometry attracted things to the world, depicted them in objects, objects. Abstract painting is created by another principle, on the principle of color harmonization and form as they are.

It all started with Vasily Kandinsky and Casimir Malevich, we will talk about them today and talk.

In 1910, Kandinsky drew a picture « Cossacks » . Before the abstractionism remains half a step.

Later, Kandinsky decides, on the example of this plot motive, finally break away from the imagery and draws a picture « Improvisation 26. » . He not only removes the image of the Cossacks, at home, rainbow, but also removes a label from the picture - now it is not the Cossacks, it's just improvisation. Tips who and what can be in the picture is not.

The name is now blurry, blurred and categories. Why is it going on? Because the name usually interferes to understand the picture, pursues the search for images, associations. And the artist-abstractionist is trying to go away from the image. It is necessary to see only color.

Kandinsky wrote a brochure "On spiritual in art", reading which, abstractionism, as a phenomenon, will become more understandable.

Malevich Abstractionism called in his own way - Suprematism (from Lat. Supremus - « the highest "). Before the famous Black Square, he went by minimizing objects in his paintings.

79.5 cm for 79.5 cm - absolute square. Malevich's picture is an avant-garde icon.

The biggest mistake in communicating with this picture - we look at it with the eyes that we look at the paintings by William Torner or Theodore Zherik (approx. Artists of the Romantic Epoch). « Black square "is not a picture, it is a manifesto enclosed in the shape of a black square. Here the admiration must be called the act of the artist - what he called this picture in 1915. After all, he painted absolutely nothing. The main thing is neither color, no paint, nor drawing, but the idea is the collapse of traditional art. « Black Square "sled the minds of the artists and rebooted art.

By the way, in music, too, there is a kind of "black square" - this is the famous play of the 20th century, which was written by John Cage and named "4:33". He went on stage, declared a work, sat down and exactly 4 minutes 33 seconds was silent. Many believe that this is anthem silence, but it is not. "4:33" is the natural sound of the surrounding world, the sound is in pure form, since the silence in the hall was constantly interrupted by rustling and shaking, some squeak, and even breathing. Cage thus told people that the sound should not be folded into the melody.

The art of abstractionism perceive is quite difficult, because it is very often you can hear exclamations from the series: "I can also draw a black square!". Yes, they can, but at that time Malevich made a huge and bold step forward, calling his ill-fated "black square" picture. It was a breakthrough, no one did before him. In the Black Square, you should not seek deep philosophical meaning. It's just "not a picture", which turned upside down the world of art from the legs, made a revolution and led the new generation of artists.

There are works of art that everyone knows. For these paintings, tourists are in long queues in any weather, and then, falling inside, simply make selfie on their background. However, if you ask the tourist who has chosen from the group, why he is so torn to a masterpiece, "he is unlikely to explain, for what he suffered, pushed and suffered with a focal length. It is often the fact that due to the permanent information noise around a particular work is forgotten by his essence. Our task in the heading "Great and incomprehensible" can remember why everyone needs to go to the Hermitage, Louvre and Uffizi.

The first picture in our heading was the canvas Casimir Malevich "Black Square". It is perhaps the most famous and controversial work of Russian art and at the same time the most recognizable in the West. So, in London is now a large-scale exhibition dedicated to the artist's work. The main exhibit was, of course, "Black Square". It can even be argued that European critics, Russian art is not associated with Karlom Bullet and Ilya Ripin, namely, Malevich. At the same time, unfortunately, few of the visitors of the Tretyakov Gallery or Hermitage can clearly say, what is so known this canvas. Today we will try to fix it.

Kazimir Malevich (1879 - 1935) "Self-portrait." 1933.

1. It is N."Black square", but"Black square on a white background"

And it is important. This fact should be remembered as Pythagore's theorem: in life, it is unlikely to be useful, but not to know her somehow indecent.

K. Malevich "Black Square on a white background". 1915 year. Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery

2. This is not a square

At first, the artist called his picture "Quadrangle", which is confirmed by linear geometry: there are no direct angles, the parties are not parallel to each other, and the lines are uneven. Thus, he created a moving form. Although, of course, to use the line was able.

3. Why did Malevich drew a square?

In his memoirs, the artist writes that it did it unconsciously. However, the development of artistic thought can be traced in his pictures.

Malevich worked the draft. It is not surprising that at first he was fascinated by cubism with his correct forms. For example, a picture of 1914 - "Composition with Joconda". Black and white rectangles are already appearing here.

Left - Kazimir Malevich "Composition with Joconda". Right - Leonardo da Vinci "Mona Lisa", she "Joconda"

Then, when creating decorations for the Opera "Victory over the Sun", a square idea appeared as an independent element. However, the picture "Black Square" appeared only two years later.

4. Why exactly the square?

Malevich believed that it was the square that is the basis of all forms. If you follow the logic of the artist, the circle and cross are already secondary elements: the rotation of the square forms a circle, and the movement of white and black planes is a cross.

Pictures "Black Circle" and "Black Cross" were written simultaneously with the Black Square. Together, they accounted for the basis of the new art system, but the primacy was always over the square.

"Black Square" - "Black Circle" - "Black Cross"

5. Why is the square black?

For Malevich, black is the mixture of all existing colors, while white is the absence of every color. Although it is completely contrary to the laws of optics. Everyone remembers how in school they told that the black color absorbs the rest, and white - connects the whole spectrum. And then we have done experiences with lenses, looking at the resulting rainbow. But Malevich has the opposite.

6. What is Suprematism and how to understand it?

Malevich founded a new direction in art in the mid-1910s. He called him Suprematism that translated from Latin means "highest." That is, in his opinion, this course should have become a vertex of all creative search for artists.

Suprematism is easy to know: various geometric shapes are combined into one dynamic, usually an asymmetric composition.

K. Malevich "Suprematism". 1916.
An example of one of the many spamatic compositions of the artist.

What does it mean? Similar forms by the viewer are usually perceived as children's colorful cubes scattered along the floor. Agree, it is impossible for two thousand years to draw the same trees and houses. Art should find new forms of expression. And they are not always clear for the townships. For example, the Small Dutch cloth was once revolutionary and deeply conceptual. On still lifes, vital philosophy was displayed through items. However, now they are perceived, rather, like beautiful pictures, the modern viewer simply does not think over the deep meaning of works.

Jan Davids de Hem "Breakfast with Fruit and Omar." The second quarter of the XVII century.
Each element in Dutch still lifes carries a certain symbolic meaning. For example, lemon is a symbol of moderation.

This slim system collapses when familiar with the pictures of avant-garders. Here the system does not work "beautifully - not beautiful", "realistic - not realistic." The viewer has to think that they can mean these strange lines and mugs on the canvas. Although, in fact, there are no less in lemons on Dutch still lifes, just visitors to the museum do not make him solve him. In the pictures of the XX century, it is necessary to immediately understand the idea of \u200b\u200bthe work of art, which is much more complicated.

7. Always only Malevich was so smart?

Malevich was not the first artist who began to create similar paintings. Many masters of France, England and Russia were close to the comprehension of unlimited art. So, Mondrian in 1913 - 1914 created geometric compositions, and the Swedish artist Hilma AF Clint wrote so-called color charts.

Hilma AF Clint. From the SUW series (stars and universe). 1914 - 1915.

However, it was at Malevich geometry acquired a clear philosophical subtext. His idea clearly emerged from the previous artistic flow - cubism, where items are crushed into geometric forms, and each of them is painted separately. In the suprematism ceased to depict the original form, artists moved to clean geometry.

Pablo Picasso "Three Women." 1908 year.
Sample cubism. Here the artist has not yet refused the form-prototype - the human body. Figures are similar to the work of a carpenter's sculptor, which as if created his work with an ax. Each "cut" sculpture is painted with a shade of red and does not go beyond the borders.

8. How can a square be moving?

Despite the external static, this picture is considered one of the most dynamic in the history of the Russian avant-garde.

According to the artist's plan, the black square symbolizes the clean shape, and the white background is an infinite space. Malevich used the adjective "dynamic" to show that this form is in space. It looks like a planet in the universe.

So the background and form are inseparable from each other: Malevich wrote that "the most important thing in the suprematism is two grounds - the energy of black and white, serving the disclosure of the form of action." (Malevich K. Collected Works in 5 volumes. M., 1995. Volume 1. p.187)

9. Why does the "black square" two dates of creation?

The canvas was created in 1915, although the author himself was written in 1913 by the author. This was done, apparently to get around its competitors and approve the championship in creating a suprematic composition. In fact, in 1913 the artist engaged in the design of the Opera "Victory over the Sun", and in his sketches, indeed, there was a black square as a symbol of this victory.

But in painting, the intent was embodied only in 1915. The picture was presented at the avant-garde exhibition "0, 10", and the artist placed it in a red corner, a place where icons are usually hanging in an Orthodox house. This step, Malevich proclaimed the significance of the canvas and was right: the picture became a turning point in the development of avant-garde.

The photo taken at the exhibition "0, 10". "Black Square" hangs in the red corner

10. Why is the "Black Square" and in the Hermitage and Tretyakovka?

Malevich acted several times to the theme of the square, since for him it is the main suprematic form, after which the circle and cross are in order of importance.

There are four "black squares" in the world, but they are not complete copies of each other. They differ in size, proportions and time creation.

"Black square". 1923. Stored in the Russian Museum

The second "black square" was created in 1923 for Biennale in Venice. Then, in 1929, an artist creates a third picture specifically for his personal exhibition. It is believed that he asked him director of the museum, because the original 1915 was already covered with a grid of cracks, a cracker. The artist did not like the idea, he refused, but then changed his mind. So in the world it became one square more.

"Black square". 1929 year. Stored in the Tretyakov Gallery

The last repetition was created alleged in 1931. No one knew about the existence of the fourth option, while in 1993 a certain citizen did not come to the Samara branch of Inkombank and did not leave this picture on bail. More mysterious fan of painting did not see: he never returned for the web. The picture began to belong to the jar. But not for long: he bankrupt in 1998. The picture was bought and transferred to storage in the Hermitage.

"Black square". The beginning of the 1930s. Stored in Hermitage

So, the first picture of 1915 and the third option of 1929 is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery, the second option is in the Russian Museum, and the last - in the Hermitage.

11. How did contemporaries react to the Black Square?

If the hopes for understanding Malevich's creativity no longer left, do not be sad. Even the followers of the Russian avant-gardeist did not completely threaten the deep intention of the artist. Until our time reached the diaries of one of the contemporaries of the master - the faith of Pestel. She writes:

"Malevich just wrote a square and crushed it completely with pink paint, and the other black paint and then many more squares and triangles of different colors. The elegant was his room, all the pattern, and it was good to cross the eye from one color to another - all different geometric shapes. How calmly it was to look at different squares, nothing thought, I did not want anything. Pink color pleased, and next black also pleased. And we liked. We also became suprematists. " (Malevich about himself. Contemporaries about Malevic. Letters. Documents. Memories. Critica. In 2 volumes. M., 2004. Volume 1. P. 144-145)

It's like saying about the still lifes of small Dutch - why think.

However, there are more memorable comments. Despite the fact that not everyone understood the philosophical subtext of the canvas, its significance was still appreciated. Andrey White said so about the suprematism:

"The history of painting and all these cut in front of such squares - zero!" (Malevich about himself. Contemporaries about Malevic. Letters. Documents. Memories. Critica. In 2 volumes. M., 2004. Volume 1. P. 108).

Alexander Benoit, the founder of the "World of Art" movement, was extremely outraged by the Malevich's entrance, but still understood the importance that the picture acquired:

"The black square in the White Frame is the same" icon ", which the Lord Futurists offer instead of Madonn and Shameless Venger. This is not a simple joke, not a simple challenge, and this is one of the acts of self-affirmation of the beginning, which has its name with the ability to laugh ... ". (Benoita A. Last futuristic exhibition. From "Malevich about himself ...". T.2. P.524)

In general, the picture made a dual impression on the artist's contemporaries.

12. Why can't I draw "Black Square" and become famous?

You can draw, but it will not be possible to glorify. The meaning of modern art is not only to create something completely new, but also to present it correctly.

For example, black squares drew to Malevich. In 1882, Paul Bilhold created a picture with a non-precipitated name "Negro's night fight in the basement". Even earlier, in the XVII century, the English Flady artist wrote the "Great Darkness" canvas. But it was the Russian avant-gardeist who marked the picture a new philosophy and exploited it for several decades. Can you? Then forward.

Robert Fold "Great Darkness". 1617 year.

Paul Bilhold "Negro Night Dravel in the basement." 1882 year.

December 19, 1915 at the "Last Futuristic Exhibition of Pictures 0.10", which opened in Petrograd, 39 pictures of Kazimir Malevich were presented to the public. In the most prominent place, in the so-called "red corner", where the icons are usually placed, the picture "Black Square" hung. Casimir Malevich, who spoke at the exhibition, announced the occurrence of a new picturesque realism - Suprematism. The term "Suprematism" (from the Latin Supremus - the highest, overcoming) Malevich called the highest and last stage of art, the essence of which is the exit for the traditional framework, beyond the visible, breathtaking world.

It is not necessary to be a great artist to draw a black square and put it on a white background. Square is the most elementary geometric shape, black and white - the most elementary colors. Probably, anyone can draw this. But here's a riddle: "Black Square" is the most famous picture in the world. She excites the minds of millions of people, causes turbulent disputes, attracts a lot of researchers and fans of painting. Why is this happening? Until now, the answer to this question was not found.

Many researchers tried to solve the secret of the "Black Square". What conclusions did they come to? Their set. Here are five basic.

"Black Square" is:

1. Gloomy and absolutely incomprehensible revelation of a brilliant artist.
2. Sample of kidness, complete hopelessness, despair from its media.
3. Artificially bloated fetish, for which there is no secrecy.
4. Act of self-affirmation of the Satanian start
5. Jewish symbol.

Unfortunately, none of the researchers went on the surface understanding of the picture. They saw only what lay on the surface of the picture, that is, only a black square.

Casimir Malevich himself repeatedly stated that the picture was made by them under the influence of the unconscious, or rather, under the influence of "cosmic consciousness". Therefore, and the picture needs to be perceived not by consciousness, but by subconscious. "Black Square" is not just a picture, "black square" is a symbol of cosmic consciousness.

All researchers did not take into account the simplest truth, namely, the law of the descriptive geometry, which reads this: Only the plane can really be displayed on the plane. The picture is a plane - it means that it can really be portrayed only a flat figure: a square. People with a weak imagination and see in the "Black Square" only square, and nothing more. But after all, Malevich gave it clearly to understand that this is not just a black square, but the Suprematic Black Square. That is, when considering this picture, go beyond the framework of traditional perception, go beyond the visible.


Go outside the visible, and you will understand that you are not a black square, but a multicolored cube. This is the secret of the famous picture. The secret meaning invested in the "Black Square" can be briefly formulated as follows: the world surrounding us, only on the first, superficial, looks like flat and black and white. If a person will perceive the world volumetric and in all of the world, his life will change dramatically. Millions of people who instinctively attracted to this picture, subconsciously felt the bulk and multicoloriness of the "black square", but they lacked the imagination to make the last step towards the intention of the brilliant canvase.


Let's make this last step together. Look at the picture. Before your eyes black square. Flat monochrome figure. But, maybe this is the front side of a multicolored cube? After all, we know that if it is strictly frontal to look at the volume of the subject, a false impression of its plane may begin. Show the point of view. Exit you visible. Try cosmic vision to see the top side of the cube. If you succeed, you will see that the upper side is blue. It symbolizes the sky and height. Now refood at the bottom side of the cube. This side is green. Green - color of spring, nature and adolescence. If you managed to see the upper and lower sides of the cube, see the sides will be easier. Two sides of the cube - yellow and red colors. Right side - yellow color, sun and summer colors. Left side - red, color of fire, heat and love. The most difficult thing is to see the opposite side of the cube. To do this, it is not enough to take a little higher, just below or slightly from the side. To do this, we must mentally move to the opposite direction. We must change their point of view 180 degrees. If this happens, then behind the front black side we will see the back white side. White - the color of wisdom, truth and purity. Black - the color of death, evil and emptiness.

Black color absorbs all other colors, so see in the black square multicolored cube is quite difficult. And see for black white, the truth for the lie, for death, life is more complex. But to the one who succeeds to do this, the Great Philosophical Formula will open.

"Black Square" is not a picture in a well-known understanding of this word. "Black Square" is an encrypted message of the Great Not Artist, but the philosopher of Casimir Malevich. I understood the true essence of this message, this formula of harmony, you can take a different look at the world around you. Look at everything from different points of view, and you will open all the charm of the colorful world.