Natalia Goncharova with Gauguin, Matisse and Picasso Exhibition

Visit: Palazzo Strozzi, Piazza Strozzi, Florence Italy

Palazzo Strozzi celebrates Natalia Goncharova, an outstanding woman artist of the 20th century, in a major exhibition reviewing her highly unconventional life and juxtaposing her rich, multi-faceted output with masterpieces by such celebrated artists as Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Umberto Boccioni. The first woman to carve a role for herself in the international art world, Natalia Goncharova lived for her art in a thoroughly holistic and unconventional manner. Challenging the morality of her age, she was the first woman in Russia to show female nudes. She took part in, and led, provocational and daring performances in the streets of Moscow.
A heroine of the Russian Avantgarde, she lived the life of an exile in Paris so that she could continue working unhindered. Showcasing 130 exhibits from such international collections as the Tate Modern in London, the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and the State Russian Museum in St. Petersburg, and with a layout that includes period video footage and photographs, the exhibition paints a picture of the extraordinary vibrancy of an original and innovative artist who has rightly been called the enfant terrible of the Avant-garde. Working as painter, costume designer, set designer, illustrator and stylist, but also as an actress on the silver screen, a dancer and a pioneering performance artist, Natalia created a powerful fusion of tradition and innovation, tirelessly experimenting with different styles and techniques and forging a highly personal combination that merges iconic elements of Russian popular and religious tradition with the tenets of Western modernity.