Alexander Rodchenko’s (1891-1956) iconic portraits of Vladimir Mayakovsky (1893-1930) represent two of the most significant members of the Russian avant-garde movement. Both photographer and sitter were deeply influential stalwarts of Constructivist ideology, their names now synonymous with that revolutionary moment in art history. Through their individual and collective creative outlets, they redefined notions of visual and literary art, production, and consumerism. While doing so, both relied heavily on each other for support, encouragement and inspiration.
Vladimir Mayakovsky, one of Russia’s most legendary avantgarde poets, was an early proponent of the Russian Futurism movement that swept through Moscow’s artistic circles in the early 1910s. Futurism emphasized Russian art’s independence from Western influence and was a precursor to the utopian ideology that shaped the next decade of Constructivist art – the movement to which both Rodchenko and Mayakovsky devoted their lives.
Before Rodchenko became known for his photographs, he produced numerous photomontages that were used for Mayakovsky's book covers, including his seminal poem “Pro eto (About This)” and his 1926 book A Discussion About Poetry with the Finance Inspector, the back cover of which features a collage with the image of our present lot. This exciting collaboration marked the beginning of Rodchenko’s transition into photography. In fact, it was Mayakovsky who funded the purchase of his first enlarger, allowing him more freedom to experiment with image composition. In April 1924, Mayakovsky sat for six portraits by Rodchenko in his studio. The present lot is an oversized print of one of those portraits. Those portraits, now iconic, were considered some of Mayakovsky’s best and repeatedly used for press and exhibitions.
Both Rodchenko and Mayakovsky’s work examined the disparity between the idealized version of Soviet life and its lived reality. While initially supporters of the revolution, their later work reveals a sense of disillusionment as Soviet policies grew increasingly rigid. The final two plays of Mayakovsky’s career — The Bedbug (1929) and The Bathhouse (1930) — contained direct criticism of corrupt government leaders and bureaucrats, ultimately resulting in a state-led smear campaign against him. Rodchenko, though continuing his work within the Soviet system, also received backlash for going against the state’s official artist style Socialist Realism and ultimately found greater support abroad, exhibiting in monumental exhibits like Film und Foto: Internationale Ausstellung des Deutschen Werkbunds (1929) at Städtische Ausstellungshallen in Stuttgart and Cubism and Abstract Art (1936) at MoMA.
Tragically, Mayakovsky committed suicide in 1930. A powerful homage to both artists and the historic circumstances under which they flourished, this portrait stands as an emotional tribute to Mayakovsky’s legacy. Originally in the collection of Mayakovsky’s longtime romantic partner and muse Lili Brik, the present lot is a rare, oversized vintage print of this image, marking only the second time a vintage print of this image has come to auction and the first time for an oversized example. The composition, cropped from the original negative, is even more seldomly seen for this image and adds an undeniable intensity to his already powerful physique. Prints of this image are scarce, with variants in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York; and the J. Paul Getty Museum, Los Angeles.
"He floated slowly.
The liveliest of the living.
The battle commander
Of the new revolutionary art front, the
Great proletarian poet of the USSR."
- Rodchenko upon the death of Mayakovsky, 1930
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