Art historians call Olga Rozanova a phenomenon painter. Just for 7 years she managed to join the ranks of the most significant artists of the Russian avant-garde on a par with Natalya Goncharova, Vladimir Tatlin, Vasily Kandinsky and Kazimir Malevich. The painter worked in several avant-garde art directions evolving from the suprematism to the colour-painting. The specialists believe that Rozanova ‘had an original outstanding talent for coloristics’ and her works were ahead the development of the abstractionism for about 10 years.
For several years, the painter created two grand collections, the first one of them was the Playing Cards series. For some time art historians couldn’t agree on when exactly Rozanova worked on these series. At first it was supposed that the Playing Cards were painted in 1915. However, the present day specialist believe that these works are referred to the beginning of her artistic activity (1912-1914s).
The Playing Cards is the most mysterious series of Rozanova. There were 11 paintings that were listed in the catalogues of different exhibitions, nowadays only 7 of them are found. They are exhibited at different museums and private collections all over Russia.
The painting The Joint Image of Kings is exhibited at the Astrakhan Art Gallery, it is the only “pair” card in Rozanova’s card deck. Art historian and acknowledged expert on the avant-garde Faina Balakhovskaia assumed that this painting and the other works of the series depict the art colleagues and the contemporaries of Rozanova. According to her opinion, Olga Rozanova depicts Mikhail Larionov as the king of hearts and Kazimir Malevich as the king of diamonds.
The image of the king of hearts has only the suit and one eye; it is almost completely overlapped by the image of the king of diamonds. Art historians suppose that it is a refer to the rayonism – the art direction based on the shift of the light and tonal spectrum that was developed by Mikhail Larionov. The domination of the king of hearts can be interpreted as the artistic ‘victory’ of Kazimir Malevich and his creative view over Larionov and his association Jack of Diamonds.
For several years, the painter created two grand collections, the first one of them was the Playing Cards series. For some time art historians couldn’t agree on when exactly Rozanova worked on these series. At first it was supposed that the Playing Cards were painted in 1915. However, the present day specialist believe that these works are referred to the beginning of her artistic activity (1912-1914s).
The Playing Cards is the most mysterious series of Rozanova. There were 11 paintings that were listed in the catalogues of different exhibitions, nowadays only 7 of them are found. They are exhibited at different museums and private collections all over Russia.
The painting The Joint Image of Kings is exhibited at the Astrakhan Art Gallery, it is the only “pair” card in Rozanova’s card deck. Art historian and acknowledged expert on the avant-garde Faina Balakhovskaia assumed that this painting and the other works of the series depict the art colleagues and the contemporaries of Rozanova. According to her opinion, Olga Rozanova depicts Mikhail Larionov as the king of hearts and Kazimir Malevich as the king of diamonds.
The image of the king of hearts has only the suit and one eye; it is almost completely overlapped by the image of the king of diamonds. Art historians suppose that it is a refer to the rayonism – the art direction based on the shift of the light and tonal spectrum that was developed by Mikhail Larionov. The domination of the king of hearts can be interpreted as the artistic ‘victory’ of Kazimir Malevich and his creative view over Larionov and his association Jack of Diamonds.
