Rayonist Landscape 

Mikhail Larionov created this Rayonist Landscape, using watercolor and ink, to explore a radical new vision of the world. Larionov developed Rayonism in Russia around 1911 as an early form of abstract art, which moved away from representing objects, and focused on the experience of light and reflection. You’ll notice the use of lines to represent the rays of light as they bounce off objects. The choice of everyday subject matter reflects a broader cultural interest in portraying the common experience. The lettering is actually Cyrillic, reflecting Larionov's Russian cultural background. This work challenges traditional academic approaches to painting that still dominated art institutions at the time. Larionov and other avant-garde artists sought to disrupt these norms and propose new ways of seeing and representing the world, in a pre-revolutionary environment of experimentation and innovation. To fully understand the context, you can delve into manifestos, exhibition catalogs, and critical reviews from the period. These resources offer insight into the artistic debates and socio-political forces that shaped the work.