Fine Art

The Model (Standing Figure) — History & Facts

A standing human figure is rendered in angular, intersecting planes in The Model (Standing Figure), painted in oil on canvas by Lyubov Popova in 1913. The composition breaks the figure and surrounding space into geometric facets, with the limbs, torso, and head abstracted into overlapping shapes. The palette is dominated by ochre, brown, yellow, and muted blue tones, with areas of white and black accentuating the structure and depth.

The modeling of light and shadow is suggested through tonal variation within the planes, rather than through traditional shading. This work was created during a period when Lyubov Popova was actively engaging with Cubism and other avant-garde movements in Russia. In the early 1910s, Russian artists were experimenting with new approaches to form and space, influenced by developments in Paris. The Model (Standing Figure) is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery and is dated to 1913, a time when Popova was closely associated with the Russian Cubo-Futurist circle.

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