February 23 – “Defender of the Fatherland Day”, originally, in 1922, it was “Day of the Red Army and Navy.”

It so happened that Kazimir Severinovich Malevich (February 11 (23), 1879, Kiev – May 15, 1935, Leningrad) was born on this day. Russian and Soviet avant-garde artist of Polish descent, teacher, art theorist, philosopher. Suprematism.

In 2018 marks the 139th anniversary of the birth of Malevich.
Is it worth mentioning that the artist’s relationship with the new power of Soviet Russia was ambiguous, complex and very dramatic. All the abstract works of Malevich, which glorified him around the world and made him one of the most famous artists of the Russian Avant-garde, were completely excluded from the official history of Soviet art during the Soviet era, with the exception of one single work, “The Red Cavalry Rides.” Malevich created his masterpiece in the period from 1928 to 1932, although he put on the back of the canvas the date of the 18th year. Most likely, the Soviet censors treated the picture favorably thanks to the name and, depicted on it, the events of the October Revolution and the Civil War, nevertheless, it still remains one of the most outstanding paintings of the 20th century. This picture is written with mathematical precision: it is clearly divided into three equivalent parts. This is the land, riding red horse and sky. In this work, Malevich best accurately conveyed the so-called golden section. The earth and sky are separated by a clear horizon, dividing the picture in an ideal proportion of 0.618 (earth: sky = sky: picture = 0.618). The cavalry are three separate groups, each with four separate riders. At the same time, in view of the fact that each rider “calculates”, an illusion of four rows is created. The lower part of the canvas is the earth in a section, which is transmitted by twelve colors, which corresponds to the twelve red horsemen. The center of the picture is shifted to the right and down. The space in front of the horsemen is twice as large as the one left behind, so that the viewer literally feels this inevitable movement FORWARD!

Currently, the picture “Rides the Red Cavalry” is in the permanent exposition of the Russian Museum.

Ars longa, vita brevis – Life is short, art is eternal.