Here is Natalia Goncharova's biography:
Natalia Goncharova was a Russian artist and costume designer who expanded the boundaries of avant-garde art into Cubo-Futurism. She belonged to the circle of Wassily Kandinsky and later collaborated with the Ballets Russes of Sergei Diaghilev.
Born Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova on June 4, 1881, in Nagaevo, near Tula, Russia, she was brought up in a highly intellectual environment. She studied sculpture at the Moscow Academy of Art, won a Silver Medal for her artworks, and later switched to painting in 1904. She drew inspiration from traditional Russian folk art, early Russian icons, and the haunting beauty of unspoiled nature.
Goncharova traveled to European capitals, exposing herself to emerging styles like Impressionism, Fauvism, and Cubism. In 1900, she moved to Paris and met artist Mikhail Larionov, with whom she developed Rayonism, a style inspired by technology and modernity.
In 1911, Goncharova became a founding member of the Der Blaue Reiter group of avant-garde artists led by Wassily Kandinsky. She participated in the first show of Der Blaue Reiter in Munich and took part in organizing the Russian avant-garde group "Osliny Khvost" (Donkey's Tail) with Larionov.
Goncharova was a graphic artist who created designs and illustrations for books in the style of Futurism. She often broke traditional forms by introducing an intricate fabric of images intertwined with music notation, letters, and textual messages. In 1913, she had her first solo show, which covered a wide range of her talent, from Neo-primitive works to Cubo-Futurism and Rayonism.
Goncharova created costumes and set designs for Diaghilev's big stage productions, including "Le Coq d'Or" ballet and "Daphnis and Chloe" production at the Komissarzhevskaya Drama Theatre in St. Petersburg. She emigrated from Russia amidst World War I and moved to Switzerland, then Paris, where she collaborated with the Ballets Russes.
Goncharova continued her work as an innovative costume and stage designer, creating designs for Russian ballet productions in Australia. In the 1930s, she illustrated a book about Joseph Stalin, which made her the public enemy of Soviet communism. During the 1930s and 1940s, she lived in Paris and continued working as an artist for several stage plays.
In 1938, Goncharova and Larionov applied for French nationalization and were granted full citizenship. They survived the Nazi occupation of Paris during World War II, but life became harder after Larionov suffered a debilitating stroke. Goncharova visited him daily and continued working, creating a series of oils titled "Space" on canvasses.
Goncharova died of cancer on October 17, 1962, in Paris, and was laid to rest in the Russian section of Cimetiere Parisien, 44 Avenue de Verdun, Ivry-sur-Seine, France. Her husband, Mikhail Larionov, joined her two years later.
