In what year did Malevich paint the black square? Malevich square - Interesting facts

The painting "Black Square" by Kazimir Malevich (1879-1935) is one of the most famous works art of the last century. It 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 became a real challenge to everything that had existed before in the fine arts.

A picture that attracts attention

Despite its apparent simplicity, the painting “Black Square” always attracts great attention and occupies a special place in the exhibition space. Malevich wrote that Suprematism can be divided into three stages, in accordance with its three squares - black, red and white. The most remarkable of the three was the painting "Black Square". It was written neatly, in a single black tone, without strokes or streaks.

Malevich's philosophy was based on everything that had accumulated in the literature and art of that period, and at the same time went against what he had tried before. The result of this was the emergence of a new pictorial religion, in which the starting point, zero, was reflected on the dial. A whole concept was created - from cubism to suprematism.

Daring challenge

The painting “Black Square”, with its harsh simplicity and open challenge to other visual forms, caused a real storm in the art world. The purity and clarity of Kazimir Malevich's work became a revolutionary new way of perception and sowed confusion in the ranks of the intelligentsia, which adhered to the traditional way of thinking. This was an attempt to establish a new world order, which sets itself complex tasks recoding the world and begin communicating in a previously unknown cosmic language. Malevich later even called himself the president of the space.

Clear sense of space

The author's Suprematist paintings embody a clear sense of space. Thick local colors fight among themselves in a state of complete plastic harmony. White background always pure and undiluted, and the non-objective pictures depicted on it are filled with chastity and lightness. The absence of heavy frames enhances the feeling of lightness and flight in space.

Malevich's painting "Black Square" was a key moment in his painting and became the subject of endless conversations and debates. The artist's students and like-minded people accepted his revelation with delight and understanding, and soon they themselves began to create works reflecting the overwhelming influence of the master. Malevich's painting "Black Square" on a white background became a symbol, a main element in the system of Suprematism, a step into new art.

The author about his work

Malevich said that in 1913, in a desperate attempt to free art from the ballast of objectivity, he took refuge in a square form and showed a painting that consisted only of a black square on a white canvas. The critics and the public just sighed, because everything they loved was being lost, they felt like they were in the desert... In front of them there was only a black square on a white background!

Malevich lamented that the square turned out to be incomprehensible and dangerous for critics and the public... But he expected this: the contours of the objective world disappeared more and more, and so on, step by step, until, finally, the world and everything that they loved and lived, lost sight of. But the desert is filled with the spirit of a biased feeling that permeates everything. The blissful feeling of liberation of bias attracted the artist back to the desert, where there is nothing real except feeling... So 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 feeling of bias. Suprematism is a rediscovery pure art, which has become noticeable over time due to the accumulation of things. But nature and meaning artistic creativity continue to be misunderstood, because feeling, after all, is always and everywhere the sole source of all creation. Emotions that ignite in a person stronger than the person himself.

Paintings by Kazimir Malevich: "Black Square"

Titles such as "Dead Square" and "Void" were given by critics. For Malevich, however, this square symbolizes feeling, and the complete emptiness is represented by the white field around the figure. The author does not concentrate on a specific subject and refers to the purity of mathematical geometry.

However, "Black Square" is not as simple as it seems. Even accepting art of the zero degree, Malevich aims for an intense perception of the drawing, which can be read in two ways, either it is a black square on a white background, or it is a black hole surrounded by a 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 color in painting. The artist took geometric shapes and a limited palette and created a special emphasis on painted forms that exist on canvas in their pure form, without scenes, landscapes or people.

The painting “Black Square” by Malevich (the photo can be seen in the article) is not the first in the new movement; here a completely different type of object was chosen than before. Despite the author’s assurances that this was the first Suprematist painting, the so-called pure zero, pure beginning, modern science and X-rays may shed light on this dark history.

The history of the painting "Black Square"

This was in the middle of the First World War, after the 1905 revolution, during a time of ongoing unrest. Just a few years after the painting was painted, in 1917, the Bolshevik uprising and the Great October Revolution would break out.

The painting "Black Square" (the photo can be seen later in the article) appeared at a time when Russian society, although familiar with cubism and futurist works, had not encountered works like this. It was difficult to imagine Malevich’s artistic revolution separately from social revolution which was happening in society at that time. The artist did not intend to depict any specific and real thing - it was a sign of the New Age.

At the exhibition of futuristic painting

When Malevich presented his black square at an exhibition of futurist painting that 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 Malevich's Black Square meant more than just a painting. It was the most sacred place where they hung Orthodox icon in a traditional Russian home, people in Petrograd were no exception. Malevich wanted to give his work a special spiritual meaning, make it the center of the exhibition and the most important emblem of your new style.

In his further activities the artist returned to figurative painting more than once; he signed many of his works with a small black square. At his funeral, mourners held flags decorated with this symbol. One of the flags was attached in Suprematist style to the coffin of the deceased. His monument, not far from his lost burial site, depicts a black square.

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

Strange picture

More than a century has passed since the work was written, but people still find it a little strange. What is the meaning of the painting "Black Square"? Some see it as a window into the night or afterworld, others just see a black figure on a white canvas. Malevich intended to change the idea of ​​painting forever, to present reality in a more intriguing light, to make something simple and unprepossessing, but at the same time revolutionary. Legendary work, which marked the beginning of non-figurative art, was exhibited for the first time on December 7, 1915.

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

Everything secret becomes clear

Why is the work that Kazimir Malevich wrote - "Black Square" - so mysterious? For some, the meaning of the picture seems infinitely deep, while others don’t see it at all. It turns out that two whole images are hidden under famous masterpiece. In November 2015, it became known that not only one, as previously thought, but two entire color paintings were hidden under a black square.

Scientists have deciphered an inscription believed to have been left by Kazimir Malevich. There were these words: "The battle of blacks in a dark cave." Surprisingly, but true, a painting with the same name was already painted by the French artist Alphonse Allais (1854-1905). It is likely that Malevich painted his creation on top of other images, but “Black Square” was more of a manifesto than a painting, so everything connected with it looks like one big, dark secret.

Kazimir Malevich: the man who liberated painting

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

Two collections of Western art were important to its development. The works of Monet, Gauguin, Cézanne, Matisse and Picasso further inspired him in his pursuit of avant-garde style, and he was especially attracted to cubism and futurism. Then followed a period of isolation, which the First gave him World War. It was then, cut off from external irritation, that he was able to take a big step, which resulted in the emergence of a new direction - Suprematism.

New understanding of empirical reality

His own compositions have a complex theoretical basis, which is why he uses such bold abstract language with such ease.

The artist's work has often been associated with mysticism due to his literary interests. His books were often carried philosophical character. He was fascinated by ideas about the fourth dimension. However, his perception of art was decisively influenced by the views of the Russian formalist Roman Yakobson and the poetic innovations of Kruchenykh and Khlebnikov. He shared with these poets his desire to explode conventional logic in order to arrive at a new understanding of empirical reality.

He was also indebted to his fellow artists Natalya Goncharova and Mikhail Larionov, who kindled his passion for folk art and instilled an interest in the power of icons. As an artist, teacher and revolutionary, Malevich sought to overturn centuries of painting rooted in Renaissance ideals. This art, he stated, was simply aesthetic, in contrast to Suprematism. It is alleged 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 form and meaning in art represent theoretical basis pointless or abstract art. Malevich worked in different styles, but its most important and famous works focused on the exploration of pure geometric shapes (squares, triangles and circles) and their relationship to each other in pictorial space.

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

Suprematism was one of the most influential movements in abstract art of the twentieth century. It was characterized by simple geometric shapes: a straight line, a rectangle, a circle, a square on a light background meant the infinity of space. The ideas of Suprematism were successfully implemented in architecture, scenography, graphics and industrial design. Unlike many other "...isms", the names for which were invented after the fact by art critics, Suprematism owes its birth, existence, development, theoretical justification, promotion to the masses and even speculative cosmic prospects to just one person - Kazimir Severinovich Malevich.

Suprematism is an art that struggles to break free from natural forms in the direction of geometric abstraction. The birth of the "Black Square" was not an act of rational consciousness or the result of a carefully planned strategy - its appearance was unexpected and mystical even for the artist himself. As one of his students recalls, he could neither eat nor sleep for a whole week since he painted the picture.

like this a simple picture a child could write it, although children would not have the patience to fill out such large area one color. Any draftsman could do this work, but draftsmen are not interested in simple geometric shapes. A similar painting could be made by a mentally ill person, but if he did this, it is unlikely that he would have the slightest chance of getting into the exhibition and ending up in right time and in the right place. It was Malevich who became the author of "Black Square", one of the most famous, mysterious and frightening works of art in the world.

Culture

Experts have revealed the secret famous work art, discovering two hidden pictures under the work of Kazimir Malevich "Black Square".

The artist himself was puzzled by the end result of his work. " I could neither sleep nor eat, and tried to understand what I had done - but I could not", - he said.

The meaning of the painting "Black Square" by Malevich

The meaning of the "Black Square" was also revealed. Researchers said they were finally able to decipher the inscription on the painting, which is believed to have been made by the artist's hand.

It reads: " Battle of blacks in a dark cave"However, they added that they were almost sure of this, despite the fact that three letters between the “n” and “ov” remained undeciphered.

Apparently this is a link to more early work black square" Battle of blacks in a dark cave late at night " French writer and the humorist Alphonse Allais, written in 1897. If this is so, then Malevich's painting is a kind of dialogue with a French painting.

Kazimir Malevich, who was the founder of geometric abstract art at the beginning of the 20th century, founded the art movement known as Suprematism in 1913.

The painting "Black Square", which is presented in the Tretyakov Gallery, was painted in 1915. Malevich later created two more versions.

The second “Black Square” is a triptych, which also includes “Black Circle” and “Black Cross”.

Subsequently, Malevich, for various purposes, performed several original repetitions of “Black Square”. There are now four known versions of the “Black Square”, differing in design, texture and color. Numerous drawings by Malevich with a black square are also known (many of them have comments emphasizing the role of the square as a key element of Suprematism). The square is also included in Malevich’s Suprematist multi-figure compositions.

The first painting “Black Square”, the original from which the author’s repetitions were subsequently made, is traditionally considered the same work that hung at the exhibition “0.10”, is stored in the Tretyakov Gallery. The painting is a canvas measuring 79.5 by 79.5 centimeters, which depicts a black square on a white background.

The second “Black Square” became part of a triptych (along with it duplicates of “Circle” and “Cross” were created), executed around 1923 to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. The dimensions of the second version are 106 by 106 cm. All parts of the 1923 triptych differed from the 1915 original in both size and proportions; these were completely new “Square”, “Circle” and “Cross”. It is believed that the painting was painted with the participation of Kazimir Malevich himself and his closest students - Anna Leporskaya, Konstantin Rozhdestvensky and Nikolai Suetin. In March 1936, along with other 80 paintings by Malevich, these three works were transferred by his wife, N. A. Malevich, to the Russian Museum.

The third version of the painting is the author’s exact repetition of the main work - the first “Black Square” (also measuring 79.5 by 79.5 cm). It was written by K. S. Malevich in 1929 for his personal exhibition, which was being prepared at the Tretyakov Gallery. “According to legend, this was done at the request of the then deputy director of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Alexei Fedorov-Davydov, due to the poor condition of the “Black Square” of 1915 (craquelure appeared in the picture)... The artist painted it directly in the halls of the museum; and during the work I allowed myself minor changes in proportions so that the paintings did not look like absolute twins.”

The fourth version could have been painted in 1932, its size is 53.5 by 53.5 cm. It became known much later, in 1993, when a person whose name remains unnamed and known only to Inkombank brought the painting to the Samara branch of Inkombank as collateral for a loan. Subsequently, the owner did not claim the painting, and it became the property of the bank. After the collapse of Inkombank in 1998, Malevich’s painting became the main asset in settlements with creditors. The president auction house“Gelos”, Oleg Stetsyura, claimed that before the auction he had several applications for the purchase of “Black Square”, and if “the painting entered the international market, the price would have reached $80 million.” By agreement with the Russian government, “Black Square” was removed from open bidding and was purchased by Russian billionaire Vladimir Potanin in 2002 for 1 million US dollars (about 28 million rubles), and then was transferred to him for safekeeping in State Hermitage Museum. Thus, the “Black Square” has become a kind of unit for measuring financial success

Kazimir Malevich. Black suprematist square. 1915, Moscow.

Everyone has thought about the paradox of Malevich’s “Black Square”.

You can't think of anything simpler than a black square. There is nothing easier than drawing a black square. Nevertheless, it is recognized as a masterpiece.

If it goes to public auction today, they will be ready to buy it for $140 million!

How did this “misunderstanding” arise? The primitive image is recognized as a masterpiece by all art critics around the world. Did they conspire?

Obviously, there is something special in “Black Square”. Invisible to the average viewer. Let's try to discover this “something”.

1. “Black Square” is not as simple as it seems.

It is only at first glance that it seems that anyone could create such a masterpiece. Both the child and the adult without art education.

A child would not have the patience to paint such a large surface with one color.

But seriously, even an adult could hardly repeat “Black Square”, because not everything in this picture is so simple.

The black square is NOT actually black

The “black square” is not actually a square. Its sides are NOT equal to each other. And opposite sides are NOT parallel to each other.

Besides, “Black Square” is NOT completely black.

Chemical analysis showed that Malevich used three homemade paints. The first is burnt bone. The second is black ocher. And the third is another natural component... dark green. Malevich also mixed in CHALK. To remove the glossy effect inherent oil paints.

That is, the artist did not just take the first one he came across black paint and painted over the drawn square. He spent at least a day preparing materials.

There are four “Black Squares”

If it were a random painting, the artist would not copy it. Over the next 15 years, he created 3 more “Black Squares”.

If you have seen all 4 paintings (two are kept in the Tretyakov Gallery, one in the Russian Museum, one in the Hermitage), then you probably noticed how NOT similar they are.

Yes Yes. Despite their simplicity, they are different. The first “Square” of 1915 is considered the most energetically charged. It's all about the successful selection of shades of black and white, as well as the composition of the paints.

All four paintings are not similar in size or color. One of the “Squares” is larger in size (created in 1923, kept in the Russian Museum). The other one is much blacker. It is the most dull and all-consuming in color (also kept in the Tretyakov Gallery).

Below are all four “Squares”. The difference in reproductions is difficult to understand. But maybe this will inspire you to watch them live!

From left to right: 1.Black square. 1929 79.5 x 79.5 cm. Tretyakov Gallery. 2. Black square. 1930-1932 53.5 x 53.5 cm. 3. Black square. 1923 106 x 106 cm. Russian Museum. 4. Black square. 1915 79.5 x 79.5 cm. Tretyakov Gallery.

“Black Square” closes two more paintings

On the 1915 “Square” you probably noticed cracks (craquelures). The bottom layer of paint is visible through them. These are the colors of another painting. It was written in a proto-Suprematist style. Something like “The Lady at the Lamp Post.”

That's not all. Below it is another image. Already the third in a row. Written in the style of cubo-futurism. This is what this style looks like.

That's why craquelures appeared. The paint layer is too thick.

Why such difficulties? As many as three images on one surface!

Perhaps this is an accident. It happens. The artist gets an idea. He wants to express it right away. But you may not have a canvas at hand. But even if there is canvas, it needs to be prepared and primed. Then insignificant paintings are used. Or those that the artist considers unsuccessful.

The result was a sort of picturesque nesting doll. Evolution. From Cubo-Futurism to Cubo-Suprematism and to pure Suprematism in the “Black Square”.

2. Strong theory of strong personality

“Black Square” was created within the framework of a new direction in painting invented by Malevich. Suprematism. Supreme means “superior.” Since the artist considered it the highest point in the development of painting.

This is a whole school. How . Like academicism. Only this school was created by one person. Kazimir Malevich. He attracted many supporters and followers to his side.

Malevich knew how to speak clearly and charismatically about his brainchild. He zealously campaigned for a complete abandonment of figurativeness. That is, from the image of objects and objects. Suprematism is an art that creates, and does not repeat, as the artist said.

If we remove the pathos and look at his theory from the outside, then we cannot help but recognize its greatness. Malevich, as befits a genius, felt which way the wind was blowing.

The time for individual perception was ending. What did this mean? Previously, only a select few admired works of art. Those who owned them. Or he could afford to walk to the museum.

Now the century has come popular culture. When simplified forms and pure colors are important. Malevich understood that art should not lag behind. And maybe even able to lead this movement.

He invented, in fact, a new pictorial language. Commensurate with the coming time that is about to come. And the language has its own alphabet.

The “black square” is the main sign of this alphabet. “Zero forms,” as Malevich said.

Before Malevich, there was another alphabet, invented at the beginning of the 14th century. This alphabet was the basis of all art. This is perspective. Volume. Emotional expressiveness.

Malevich's language is completely different. Simple color forms in which color is assigned a different role. It is not intended to convey nature. And not to create the illusion of volume. It is expressive in its own right.

“Black square” is the main “letter” in the new alphabet. Square because it is the first form. Black color because it absorbs all colors.

Together with the “Black Square” Malevich creates the “Black Cross” and “Black Circle”. Simple elements. But they are also derivatives of the black square.

A circle appears if the square is rotated on a plane. The cross consists of several squares.

Paintings by K. Malevich. Left: Black cross. 1915 Center Pompidou, Paris. Right: Black circle. 1923 Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

Paintings by K. Malevich. Left: Black square and red square. 1915 Museum contemporary art, NY. Middle: Suprematist composition. 1916 Private collection. Right: Suprematism. 1916 Russian Museum, St. Petersburg.

Malevich painted in the style of Suprematism for several years. And then the incredible happened. He denied figurativeness for so long that... he returned to it.

This could be seen as inconsistency. Like, I “played” with a beautiful theory and that’s enough.

In fact, the language he created was hungry for use. Applications in the world of forms and nature. And Malevich obediently returned to this world. But he portrayed it using the new language of Suprematism.

Paintings by Kazimir Malevich. Left: Athletes. 1932 Russian Museum. Middle: Red House. 1932 Ibid. Right: Girl with a comb in her hair. 1934 Tretyakov Gallery.

So “Black Square” is not the end of art, as it is sometimes designated. This is the beginning new painting.

Then it came new stage. Language wanted to serve people. And he passed into our lives.

Test yourself: take the online test

3. Huge impact on living space

Having created Suprematism, Malevich did everything so that it would not gather dust in museums, but would go to the masses.

He drew sketches of dresses. But during his lifetime he was able to “put them on” only on the heroes of his paintings.

Left: Leningradsky service porcelain factory, created according to sketches by Malevich (1922). Right: a sample of fabric with a drawing by Malevich (1919).

Malevich’s supporters began to speak the language of the “Black Square”. The most famous of them is El Lissitzky, who invented printing fonts as well as new design books.

He was inspired by the theory of Suprematism and Malevich’s “Black Square”.

Designing books like this seems natural to us. But only because Malevich’s style has firmly entered our lives.

Our contemporaries, designers, architects and fashion designers do not hide the fact that all their lives they have drawn inspiration from the works of Malevich. Among them is one of the most famous architects, Zaha Hadid (1950-2016).

Left: Dominion Tower. Architect: Zaha Hadid. Construction 2005-2015 Moscow (metro station Dubrovka). In the center: Table “Malevich”. Alberto Lievore. 2016 Spain. Right: Gabrielo Colangelo. Spring-summer 2013 collection

4. Why “Black Square” is puzzling and why it is still a masterpiece

Almost every viewer tries to understand Malevich using the familiar language of natural images. The same one that Giotto invented and which was developed artists of the Renaissance.

Many people try to evaluate “Black Square” using inappropriate criteria. Like it or not. Beautiful - not beautiful. Realistic - not realistic.

Awkwardness sets in. Discouragement. Because “Black Square” remains deaf to such assessments. What remains? Only condemn or ridicule.

Daub. Nonsense. “The child can draw better” or “I can do that too” and so on.

Then it will become clear why this is a masterpiece. It is impossible to evaluate “Black Square” on its own. But only together with the space it serves.

PS.

Malevich was famous during his lifetime. But he did not receive any material benefit from this. Going to an exhibition in Paris in 1929, he asked the authorities to let him go there... on foot. Because he didn’t have money for the trip.

The authorities realized that Comrade Malevich, who came to Europe on his own two feet, would undermine their authority. Therefore, 40 rubles were allocated for the trip.

True, after 2 weeks he was urgently called back by telegram. And upon arrival he was immediately arrested. By denunciation. Like a German spy.

I am not an art critic, unfortunately, but recently I had the opportunity to show off my erudition about famous painting Kazimir Malevich "Black Square". It turns out that not everyone knows that there are several such squares, including not only black ones :) and that in addition to the square there are also Malevich’s circle and cross.

But let's take things in order. So, “Black Square” was created by the artist in 1915. The idea of ​​creating this masterpiece was born while Malevich was working on the sets for the futuristic opera “Victory over the Sun.” (The characters of the opera, defeating the merciless scorching Sun, cover it with a black square, symbolizing strength human reason, logic, analysis. The light edging on the sides of the square is the rays of the sun breaking through.)

The original name of the “Black Square”, under which it was listed in the catalog, was “Quadrangle”. Not having strictly right angles, from the point of view of pure geometry it really was a quadrangle; this was a principled position, the desire to create a dynamic, mobile form. . The imaginary movement of a black square is its rotation in space, or the rearrangement of black and white gave birth to new Suprematist forms. The “Black Circle” and “Black Cross” were created simultaneously with the “Black Square” and, together with the square, formed the main block of the Suprematist system.

Suprematism (from Latin supremus - highest) - a movement in avant-garde art founded in the 1st half of the 1910s. K.S. Malevich. Being a type of abstract art, Suprematism was expressed in combinations of multi-colored planes of the simplest geometric shapes (in the geometric shapes of a straight line, square, circle and rectangle). Combination of different colors and sizes geometric shapes forms permeated internal movement balanced asymmetrical suprematist compositions. (Wikipedia)

Subsequently, Malevich, for various purposes, performed several original repetitions of “Black Square”. There are now four known versions of the “Black Square”, differing in design, texture and color.

The first painting “Black Square”, from which the author’s repetitions were subsequently made, is kept in the Tretyakov Gallery. The painting is a canvas measuring 79.5 by 79.5 centimeters, which depicts a black square on a white background.

The second “Black Square” became part of a triptych (along with it duplicates of “Circle” and “Cross” were created), executed around 1923 to be exhibited at the Venice Biennale. The dimensions of the second version are 106 by 106 cm. All parts of the 1923 triptych differed from the 1915 original in both size and proportions; these were completely new “Square”, “Circle” and “Cross”.
In March 1936, along with other 80 paintings by Malevich, these three works were transferred by his wife, N. A. Malevich, to the Russian Museum.

The third version was written in 1929 and is the author’s exact repetition of the main work - the first “Black Square” (also measuring 79.5 by 79.5 cm) for his personal exhibition, which was being prepared at the Tretyakov Gallery. “According to legend, this was done at the request of the then deputy director of the State Tretyakov Gallery, Alexei Fedorov-Davydov, due to the poor condition of the “Black Square” of 1915 (craquelure appeared in the picture). The artist painted it directly in the halls of the museum; and during the work I allowed myself minor changes in proportions so that the paintings did not look like absolute twins.”

The fourth version could have been written in 1932, its size is 53.5 by 53.5 cm. It became known much later, in 1993, when an unknown person brought it to the Samara branch of Inkombank as collateral for a loan. Subsequently, the painting became the property of the bank. After the collapse of Inkombank in 1998, Malevich’s painting became the main asset in settlements with creditors. In 2002, by agreement with the Russian government, the “Black Square” was removed from public auction and was purchased for $1 million by businessman Vladimir Potanin, with the aim of transferring it for permanent storage to the Hermitage.

There are two more basic Suprematist squares - red and white.
"Red Square" was written in 1915. The title on the back is “A Woman in Two Dimensions.” It is a red quadrangle on a white background, slightly different in shape from a square.

This is such a two-dimensional woman of Malevich :)))

The painting “White Square on White” became a manifestation of the “white” period of Suprematism, which began in 1918 (“Suprematist composition” - “White on White”).

The red and white squares were part of the artistic and philosophical triad defined by Malevich. The artist argued: “The Suprematist three squares are the establishment of certain worldviews and world-building... black as a sign of economy, red as a signal of revolution, and white as pure action.”