The Lissitzky

EL LISSITZKY (Russia, 1890 - 1941).
"Study for die Kugel", c. 1924.
Watercolor, pastel and pencil on paper.
Presents label on the back: Annely Juda, Fine Art (London), Theo Gallery (Madrid), Peter Freeman INC (New York) and Elvira Gonzalez Gallery (Madrid).
Measurements: 20,5 x 20,5 cm; 39 x 39 cm (frame).

Exhibitions: Hannover, Sprengel Museum Hannover "El Lissitzky. A Retrospective." 24 January - 10 April 1988, pg. 149, ill. 133, cat. no. 95.
-London, Annely Juda Fine Art, "From Picasso to Abstraction", 29 June - 23 September 1989, ill. pg. 75, no. 51.
-Madrid, Elvira Gonzalez Gallery, "Work on paper", July - September 1999.

Provenance: Sotheby's, London, Autumn 1988 auction, Annely Juda Fine Art, London (Ref: LEL 37), Galería Theo, Madrid (Ref: T-1) and Galería Elvira González, Madrid.

This work reveals the artist's deep interest in geometry, spatial construction and the articulation between art, architecture and design. More than a preparatory study in the traditional sense, the work functions as a visual laboratory where El Lissitzky's main theoretical and aesthetic concerns about modernity and the transformation of artistic language converge.The work must be understood in relation to the intellectual context of constructivism and Russian suprematism, movements that emerged after the Revolution of 1917 and aspired to create a new artistic language in accordance with modern society. In this environment, El Lissitzky played a central role as a mediator between the abstract experiences of Kazimir Malevich and the subsequent development of avant-garde design, architecture and typography. His investigations sought not only to produce abstract images, but to radically rethink the relationship between art and everyday life.
The composition is organized around a large black circular form crossed diagonally by geometric lines and angular structures that generate a dynamic tension within the pictorial space. The support, arranged diagonally, deliberately breaks with the conventional orientation of the image and accentuates the sensation of instability and movement. This resource reflects one of the fundamental principles of the constructivist avant-garde: the negation of static representation in favor of an active and transformative visual experience.The title of the work refers to Die Kugel ("The Sphere"), a concept that suggests a reflection on space, movement and elemental forms. The sphere, converted here into a large dark circle, appears as the organizing nucleus of the composition.
This formal investigation is directly related to the so-called Proun (Proekt Utverzhdeniya Novogo, "Project for the affirmation of the new"), developed by El Lissitzky since the early 1920s. The Proun constituted an intermediate territory between painting and architecture, conceived as an experimental space where geometric forms could be organized according to constructive and dynamic principles.
Lissitzky was born in 1890 in Pochinok, in the then Russian Empire. Architect, graphic designer, photographer, typographer and painter, he was one of the most influential figures of the European avant-garde of the 20th century. Initially linked to Kazimir Malevich's Suprematism, he later developed his own language based on the integration of art, design and architecture. His work played a decisive role in the international dissemination of Russian constructivism and in the renewal of modern graphic design. Currently, his works are part of important international collections such as the Museum of Modern Art, the Tate, the Stedelijk Museum and the Russian State Museum, consolidating his position as one of the essential figures of the artistic modernity of the twentieth century.