The two peasant women – Kazimir Malevich

The first owner of this painting was avant-garde artist Alexei Gan, a co-founder of the First Working Group of Constructivists with Alexander Rodchenko and Varvara Stepanova. Gan edited Kino-fot (1922–23) and co-edited Contemporary Architecture (1928), where Malevich also published articles. His partner, Esfir Shub, was a noted documentary filmmaker.

Two Peasant Women belongs to Malevich’s second peasant cycle of the late 1920s. This intense painting synthesizes Malevich’s avant-garde activities, drawing from his first peasant cycle of the early 1910s. The imagery aligns with Russian icon painting, with the two women’s postures echoing saints in Orthodox Deësis. Their golden-hued background resembles traditional icon backdrops, with a two-toned pozem effect. The scarves covering their heads reinforce religious associations, akin to the Mother of God and female saints. The work evokes the Visitation scene, symbolizing trust and revelation.

The stylized clothing contrasts with the background, using red, white, and dark tones reminiscent of Malevich’s Suprematist tricolor in Black Square (1915), Red Square (1915), and White Square on a White Background (1918). Geometric simplifications persist—the right figure’s blouse approximates a square, while the other’s form suggests an oval, and their skirts take trapezoidal and triangular shapes.

Malevich cherished oil painting, calling it “activities with oil.” His joy is evident in Two Peasant Women’s rich texture, uneven surface, and dynamic brushstrokes. The peasants’ legs and feet showcase a painterly bravura, while the yellow pozem integrates unexpected flashes of turquoise, green, and pink.

This painting also has a related sketch, Two Figures, once owned by Nikolai Khardzhiev and later given to Ida Chagall. The work reflects Malevich’s sensitivity to Soviet rural hardships, portraying villagers as stoic figures in depopulated landscapes. Combining iconographic, figurative, and abstract elements, Two Peasant Women embodies Malevich’s enduring passion for painting.

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