Mikhail Larionov

Mikhail Larionov (Михаи́л Ларио́нов); (June 3, 1881 – May 10, 1964) was a Russian avant-garde painter. He founded two important artistic groups Knave of Diamonds and the more radical Donkey's Tail. His partner was fellow avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova, with whom they worked on Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in France and Switzerland.

Life and work
Larionov was born in Tiraspol. In 1898 he entered the Moscow School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He was suspended three times for his radicalism in art. In 1900, he met fellow avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova and formed relationship with her.

Larionov was a founding member of two important Russian artistic groups Knave of Diamonds (1909-1917) and the more radical Donkey's Tail (1912–1914). He gave names to both groups. Murina E. B., Dzhafarova S. G. Aristarkh Lentulov: The Artist's Path. The Artist and Time. Moscow: Soviet Artist, 1990. ISBN 5-269-00095-4. (Мурина Е. Б., Джафарова С. Г. Аристарх Лентулов: Путь художника. Художник и время. М.: Советский художник, 1990. ISBN 5-269-00095-4.). pp. 81–83

Larionov then became influenced by Cubo-Futurist art movement, and in 1913, with Natalia Goncharova, he invented Rayonism, a revolutionary abstract art style. Kovtun, Evgeny Fedorovich. Mikhail Larionov. 1881-1964. St. Petersburg, publishing house “Aurora”, 1998 (Ковтун, Евгений Федорович. Михаил Ларионов. 1881—1964. Санкт-Петербург, издательство “Аврора”, 1998). Pp.60-61.

At this time, Larionov was at the forefront of the Moscow avant-garde. He staged public performance art featuring participants with painted faces and dressed in eccentric clothes. 

In 1914, Natalia Goncharova was working on stage decorations for the Golden Cockerel ballet to be staged by Sergei Diaghilev in Paris. After Diaghilev’s invitation, Goncharova in May 1914 went to Paris to prepare the ballet decorations, accompanied by Larionov. They stayed in Paris until World War I broke out. Since Mikhail Larionov was liable for military service, he returned to Russia in August 1914 and was sent to the front, but after a month of fighting was wounded and sent to hospital in Moscow and demobilized in December, 1914. When Sergei Diaghilev learned about it, he started bombarding Goncharova and Larionov with telegrams urging them to come to him to Europe to work on Diaghilev’s Russian ballets. In July 1915, Goncharova and Larionov went to Diaghilev’s villa near Lausanne to work on “Les Noces” and «Liturgy» (Natalia Goncharova) and “Soleil de Nuit” («Полуночное солнце») by Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov (Mikhail Larionov). Kovtun, Evgeniy Fedorovich. Mikhail Larionov. 1881-1964. St. Petersburg, Aurora Publishing House, 1998. - 175 p. ISBN 5-7300-0668-3 (Ковтун, Евгений Фёдорович. Михаил Ларионов. 1881—1964. Санкт-Петербург, издательство «Аврора», 1998. - 175 c. ISBN 5-7300-0668-3). Pp.136-137.

The journey of Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Goncharova to Switzerland in July 1915 turned out to be a “one way ticket”, since they never put their feet on Russian soil after that, becoming French citizens and residing until their final days in Paris. Kovtun, Evgeniy Fedorovich. Mikhail Larionov. 1881-1964. St. Petersburg, Aurora Publishing House, 1998. - 175 p. ISBN 5-7300-0668-3 (Ковтун, Евгений Фёдорович. Михаил Ларионов. 1881—1964. Санкт-Петербург, издательство «Аврора», 1998. - 175 c. ISBN 5-7300-0668-3). Pp.138.

Gallery

 References 

 Further readings 
 Nakov Andréi. L'avant-garde russe. Moscow, Art Publishers, 1991. ISBN 5-210-02162-9 (Наков А. Русский авангард = L'avant-garde russe. М.: Искусство, 1991. ISBN 5-210-02162-9)
 A.Parton. Mikhail Larionov and The Russian Avant-Garde. London-New York, 1993

 Other websites 
Online gallery of Larionov paintings

Category:1881 births
Category:1964 deaths
Category:Russian painters
Category:Costume designers
Category:Immigrants to France
Category:Cubism
Category:Avant-garde