Malevich hung Black Square in the corner of the room where Russians traditionally hang religious icons. This was in 1915[7], at the Last Futurist Exhibition in Petrograd. A black square on a white ground, placed where the icon should be. He called it the zero of form.
Key facts
Biography
He was born in 1879[7] near Kyiv, to parents of Polish origin, the eldest of fourteen children. Nine survived to adulthood. He moved through Impressionism, Symbolism, Fauvism, and Cubism before arriving at Suprematism, a system of pure geometric abstraction that he invented in 1913. White on White (1918) pushed the principle to its logical end: a white square, barely visible, tilted on a white background.
In 1927[7], he took approximately seventy paintings to Berlin for an exhibition. Soviet authorities recalled him abruptly. He left the entire cache with a German architect named Hugo Haering and never saw them again. The works eventually ended up at MoMA in New York and the Stedelijk Museum in Amsterdam.
In 1930[7], the secret police arrested him, accused him of Polish espionage, and threatened execution. He was imprisoned for two months. His teaching position was taken away. Artworks and manuscripts were confiscated. He was banned from making art and forced to return to figurative painting under Stalin.
He died of cancer in 1935[7], aged fifty-six. On his deathbed, Black Square was hung above him. His ashes were buried at Nemchinovka. He had requested a Suprematist sculptural form to mark his grave. Instead, it was marked with a white cube bearing a black square, which was destroyed during the war.
Timeline
- 1879Born in Kyiv to an ethnic Polish family. The eldest of fourteen children, only nine of whom survived into adulthood, he grew up in rural Ukraine surrounded by peasant life.
- 1904At 25, moved to Moscow to study painting, though he was initially refused entry to the School of Painting, Sculpture and Architecture. He enrolled instead in the private studio of Ivan Rerberg.
- 1913At 34, began creating abstract geometric compositions in a style he called Suprematism, asserting that colour and form should reign over subject matter.
- 1915At 36, exhibited Black Square for the first time at the Last Futurist Exhibition 0,10 in Petrograd, hanging it across a corner like a Russian icon.
- 1919At 40, joined the art school in Vitebsk directed by Marc Chagall, where he established the UNOVIS group (Affirmers of New Art) and soon displaced Chagall as the school's dominant figure.
- 1927At 48, visited the Bauhaus in Dessau, Germany, where he met Kandinsky and published his theoretical treatise The Non-Objective World.
- 1930At 51, imprisoned for two months by Soviet authorities on suspicion arising from his trips to Poland and Germany. Abstract art was increasingly under state suppression.
- 1935Died of cancer at 56 in Leningrad. On his deathbed he was displayed beneath the Black Square, and mourners at his funeral carried a banner bearing a black square.
Notable Works
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Where to See Kazimir Malevich
17 museums worldwide.
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3 works
Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Upper East Side, United States
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2 works
Moderna Museet
Skeppsholmen, Sweden
Related Artists
Frequently Asked Questions
How did kazimir malevich die?
Kazimir Malevich died in 1935[7] at the age of 57.Is kazimir malevich ukrainian?
Kazimir Malevich was born near Kyiv, Russia.Kazimir malevich art movement?
Kazimir Malevich experimented with various modernist styles and participated in avant-garde exhibitions. He invented Suprematism, a completely abstract concept.What is kazimir malevich known for?
Kazimir Malevich is known for painting an ambiguous image that heralds the machine age. It features brightly coloured shapes floating against a white space.What was kazimir malevich famous for?
Kazimir Malevich is famous for painting an ambiguous image that heralds the machine age. It features brightly coloured shapes floating against a white space.Where did kazimir malevich live?
During his childhood, Kazimir Malevich moved frequently around Ukraine. He participated in the Jack of Diamonds exhibition in Moscow in 1910[7].Who is kazimir malevich?
Kazimir Malevich explored a variety of art styles before inventing Suprematism. This abstract concept had a powerful influence on the evolution of modern art.Who was kazimir malevich?
Kazimir Malevich explored various art styles before inventing Suprematism. This abstract concept had a powerful influence on modern art.Why is kazimir malevich important?
Kazimir Malevich's art and his Suprematism manifesto are among the most important artistic developments of this century. He claimed to have reached the summit of abstract art in denying objective representation.Kazimir malevich was part of which movement?
Kazimir Malevich explored a variety of art styles before inventing Suprematism. He participated in the Jack of Diamonds exhibition in Moscow in 1910[7].What did kazimir malevich believed about painting?
Kazimir Malevich founded Suprematism, which he believed surpassed all other forms of painting. He stated that all past and recent painting before Suprematism has been subjugated by the shapes of nature.
Sources
Editorial draws on the following primary and tertiary references for Kazimir Malevich.
- [1] museum MOMus–Museum of Modern Art–Costakis Collection Used for: museum holdings.
- [2] museum Tretyakov Gallery Used for: museum holdings.
- [3] museum Russian Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [4] museum Moderna Museet Used for: museum holdings.
- [5] museum Beyeler Foundation Used for: museum holdings.
- [6] museum Ivanovo Regional Art Museum Used for: museum holdings.
- [7] wikipedia Wikipedia: Kazimir Malevich Used for: biography, birth dates, death dates, identifiers, movement attribution, nationality.
- [8] book Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author, Beard, Lee, 1973- author, Butler, Adam, author; Van Cleave, Claire, author; Fortenberry, Diane, author; Stirling, Susan, author - The Art Book_ New Edition, Mini Format Used for: biography.
- [9] book guggenheim-guhe00solo Used for: biography.
- [10] book guggenheim-handboo00pegg Used for: biography.
Editorial overseen by Solis Prints. Sources verified 2026-05-31. Click a source for details, or hover over [N] in the page above to preview.
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