Michael Larionov (1881-1964), painter, designer, and decorator, led the way to the classic avant-garde. His search for a new plastic language rejected traditional 19th-century art, turning towards Naive Art, popular imagery, and stylised Russian shop-signs. His innovations did not dilute his creative drive. His activities stretched from easel-painting to book illustration, notably those of Russian Futurist poets, to theatrical design; his decorations for Diaghilev's ballets are very well-known. Yevgeni Kovtun traces the life and achievements of one of Russia's greatest painters.Contents:The impressionist years --The beginnings of Primitivism. The painted shop-sign --The donkey's tail --The East and nationality --The Lubok exhibitions --Artistic debates --The target exhibition --The discovery of Pirosmani --The book experiment --Rayonism --The Russian museum and Larionov --Conclusion. After 1914 --Chronicle of the artist's life and work --Events since 1964.
