Natalia Gontcharova In Quotes

From her time as an young outspoken shaker of the status quo in Moscow through to her eventual position as a respected and unique fixture of the art world in Paris, Natalia Gontcharova always had a way with words… here, for your reading pleasure, are a few of her most memorable thoughts in quotes…

Sources:

“One does not understand life or books immediately.” Letter to Larionov July 20, 1946. Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Natalia Goncharova in Exile, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P35

“A spark of the spirit lives in us, it is connected with all spirit. It is divine. It is drawn to other, similar sparks. This is the urge to creation.” December 1954. Goncharova – Stage Designs and Paintings – First Edition, Mary Chamot, 1979 p 21

“The Russian people have an innate taste for art. They have created folk melodies, which have supplied themes for all our great composers, for Stravinsky, for example.” Goncharova – Stage Designs and Paintings – First Edition, Mary Chamot, 1979 p15

“The purpose of the costume is not to clothe the actor, but to materialize the imaged figure, its type and character.” Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Between Theater and painting, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P49

“The great fault with many modern designers for the theatre is that when once they find a formula, they stick to it and never get out again.” Goncharova – Stage Designs and Paintings – First Edition, Mary Chamot, 1979 p 19

“I am 76 years old. I have become either very wise or very stupid, but I cannot understand why decent people do not seem to be able to understand… what a single bloodbath will trigger throughout the world.” Letter to Oreste Rosenfeld, 1957. Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Natalia Goncharova in Exile, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P36

“Larionov is my working consciousness and my tuning fork. Some children are born knowing everything. A touchstone. We are extremely different. He sees me from me, not from himself. Just like I see him.” Goncharova via Tsvetayeva. Natalia Goncharova – The Russian Years: The Artists Richest in Colours, State Russian Museum, St. Petersburg – Editor-in-Chief, Yevgenia Petrova, 2002 – P9

“I am not jealous of AK [Alexandra Klavdievna Tomilina]; she is a good person. I respect her very much and particularly admire her charm… she should also not be jealous of me…” Letter to Larionov May 16, 1946. Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Natalia Goncharova in Exile, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P34-35

“ I believe that color possesses a strange magic: sad colors, joyous or calm colors, a delicate or stronger color harmony – these are not simply words that characterize an emotion similar to the sensations of taste. Colors have an effect on one’s psychological makeup…” Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Between Theater and painting, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P52

“I am never really fine with strangers or people I do not know well… you know what an unsocial being I am…” Letter to Oreste Rosenfeld, 1926. Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Natalia Goncharova in Exile, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P31

[Paris] “suits…people with bourgeois morals who like to play bandits or smugglers.” Natalia Goncharova – Between Russian Tradition and European Modernism: Natalia Goncharova in Exile, Beate Kemfert & Alla Chilova, ed, 2009 – P31