Art History 207

Vladimir Tatlin, “Board No. 1 (Staro-Basman),” 1916-17, tempera and glit on board, Russian Constructivism

Tatlin started off as a painter. In 1914, Tatlin was inspired by Picasso’s collage reliefs. This influenced his art tremendously. He had begun using various industrial materials to create his own reliefs and sculptures of art.

Tatlin had not dropped painting. Board No. 1 (Staro-Basman), was one of many of Tatlin’s paintings, reflecting the Russian Constructivism movement. He painted on a board with measurements 105 by 57 centimeters. The format of the painting was very familiar to icon paintings. The pale ivory background was another characteristic of many icons. The forms painted were more or less rectangular. Inscribed in the painting was “Staro-Basman” in white, and “33” in black. These represented an address he once resided, Staro-Basmannanya Street, House no. 33.  This painting was abstract and very geometric. It had an impression of neatness and concision, but was also complex and not entirely stable.

Lynton, Norbert. Tatlin’s Tower : Monument to Revolution. New Haven: Yale University Press, 2009. Print.