Magnolia

In this still life, Goncharova moves away from her experiments with geometric abstraction, returning to the impressionist-inspired naturalism of her earliest paintings.

In the 1920s, Goncharova’s association with the Ballets Russes gave her a steady income and inspired some of her most innovative designs. The sudden death of the ballet’s legendary manager Serge Diaghilev in 1929 dealt an awful blow. Goncharova and her companion Mikhail Larionov were displaced from their native Russia and spent the next 30 years living in poverty in Paris, despite their celebrated artistic status.

Yet this magnolia in full bloom seems to capture a spirit of optimism. Or perhaps this type of picture was simplest to sell?