Natalia Goncharova. Una donna e le avanguardie, tra Gaugin, Matisse e Picasso

The important new exhibition, Natalia Goncharova. Una donna e le avanguardie, tra Gauguin, Matisse e Picasso, at Palazzo Strozzi from 28 September 2019 to 12 January 2020 celebrates the extraordinary 20th-century female artist Natalia Goncharova, with an extensive exploration of her unconventional life and rich, multi-faceted artistic oeuvre compared with masterpieces by artists such as Paul Gauguin, Henri Matisse, Pablo Picasso and Umberto Boccioni.

The first woman to emerge on the international stage, Natalia Goncharova dedicated her entire life to the unconventional pursuit of art. Defying the morals of her time, she was the first woman in Russia to exhibit paintings of female nudes. She took part in and led daring, provocative performances on the streets of Moscow.

Heroine of the Russian avant-garde, she lived in exile in Paris to continue working without restrictions. Through 130 of her works – from international collections such as the Tate Modern, London, Moscow’s Tretyakov Gallery and the State Russian Museum, Saint Petersburg – accompanied by videos and period photographs, the exhibition charts the extraordinary verve of an original, innovative artist, truly an enfant terrible of the avant-garde.

Painter, costume designer, set designer, illustrator and fashion designer, not to mention actress, dancer and performing artist before the term was even coined, Natalia created a powerful fusion between tradition and innovation, always experimenting with different styles and techniques and blending iconic elements of the Russian tradition with aspects of modern Western art in her own highly personal style.

Intesa Sanpaolo is a supporting partner for the Palazzo Strozzi Foundation.