Liubov Popova

1889-1924

European Artist

Popova was born in the village of Ivanovskoe in Moscow province, in a family of a wealthy and cultured merchant. In 1910, Popova went to Italy and became acquainted with the works of Giotto and Pintoriccio. She traveled to Paris and studied Cubism. After returning to Moscow in 1913, she became interested in Futurism. In 1916, Popova started calling her compositions "Painterly Architectonics." She became a member of "Supremus," organized by K. Malevich. The artist's fascination with construction allowed her to join other constructivists in absolute rejection of easel painting. She gave up her own painting and turned entirely to industrial design (1921). A year before her untimely death, Popova was appointed head of the Design Studio at the First State Textile Print Factory in Moscow. She excelled in industrial design of clothing and fabrics and produced posters, book designs, ceramics, and photomontages.