“This painting offers a glimpse into early 20th-century Russian avant-garde, capturing a vivid street scene with bold colors and a simplified, striking figure.”
A woman in a vibrant red dress strides across the canvas, her figure dominating the scene. Her face, rendered with a striking simplicity, is almost mask-like, drawing attention to her bold silhouette and the dynamic brushwork that defines her form. The background, a blur of greens, blues, and yellows, suggests a bustling urban environment without offering specific details, emphasizing the fleeting nature of her presence. This painting, created in 1911 by Mikhail Larionov, captures a moment of modern life, reflecting the energy of the early 20th century. It hints at the artist's engagement with Neo-primitive styles, which often drew from Russian folk art and sign painting, giving the figure an almost iconic quality.
- Artist
- Mikhail Larionov
- Date
- 1911
- Medium
- Oil on canvas
- Location
- Ulyanovsk Oblast Art Museum
What to Notice
Four details hide in plain sight. Here’s where to look.

The woman's bright red dress, a stark contrast to the muted background.
Her simplified, almost featureless face, typical of Neo-primitive art.
The dynamic, visible brushstrokes that give the painting a sense of movement.
The abstract, colorful background suggesting a city street.
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Mikhail Larionov
1881–1964 · Russian EmpirePioneered Rayonism in 1913, Russia's first abstract art movement, then designed for Diaghilev's legendary Ballets Russes.
Further Works by Larionov
Still Life with Crayfish
1900 · Museum Ludwig
Portrait of Natalia Goncharova
1903
Barber
1907 · Russian Museum
Red and Blue Rayonism (Beach)
1911 · Museum Ludwig
Soldier on a Horse
1911 · Tate
Streetcar
1911 · Bashkir State Art Museum (Nesterov Museum)
Glass
1912 · Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Jewish Venus
1912 · Ekaterinburg Museum of Fine Arts
More from Der Blaue Reiter
More works to explore
Beyond Larionov and Der Blaue Reiter: works from the same years.
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Lozenge Composition with Yellow, Black, Blue, Red, and Gray
Piet Mondrian · 1921 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Blue Girl in the Sun
Ernst Ludwig Kirchner · 1910
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Birth
Marc Chagall · 1911 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Daniel-Henry Kahnweiler
Pablo Picasso · 1910 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Bathers by a River
Henri Matisse · 1909 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Little Harbor in Normandy
Georges Braque · 1909 · Art Institute of Chicago
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Maude Adams (1872–1953) as Joan of Arc
Alphonse Mucha · 1909 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Sirmione
John Singer Sargent · 1913 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Street Cart
Egon Schiele · 1914 · The Metropolitan Museum of Art
Same era · 1890s–1920s
The Magic Foot-ball, 'I thought you were wrong,' he said in triumph. 'You said it was nine! Stupid!'
Norman Rockwell · 1914 · Norman Rockwell Museum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Consolation
Edvard Munch · 1907 · Munch Museum
Same era · 1890s–1920s
Irises
Claude Monet · 1915 · National Gallery

