Angels and Airplanes, from War: Mystical Images of War

Natalia GoncharovaWW-1914-085367

1914·Lithograph on cream wove paper·32.6 × 24 cm (12 7/8 × 9 1/2 in.)

<p>In this composition, the angular geometry completed by the wings of planes and angels contrasts with the angels’ circular halos. Early in the war, aviation was used for aerial reconnaissance photography, which could perhaps explain why these airplanes lack any sign of artillery. It was not long after Natalia Goncharova made this print that the airforce began to be used for many other purposes in wartime. The pilots and angels share a celestial point of view that raises questions about the kind of knowledge required to make decisions in war.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1914
Medium: Lithograph on cream wove paper
Dimensions: 32.6 × 24 cm (12 7/8 × 9 1/2 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Natalia Goncharova

Artist

Natalia Goncharova

Painting

Natalia Sergeevna Goncharova was a Russian avant-garde artist, painter, costume designer, writer, illustrator, and set designer. Goncharova's lifelong partner was fellow Russian avant-garde artist Mikhail Larionov. She was a founding member of both the Jack of Diamonds (1909–1911), Moscow's first radical independent exhibiting group, the more radical Donkey's Tail (1912–1913), and with Larionov invented Rayonism (1912–1914). She was also a member of the German-based art movement Der Blaue Reiter. Born in Russia, she moved to Paris in 1921 and lived there until her death.

Tula, Russia

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