A 1923 lithograph by El Lissitzky depicting geometric, mechanical figures from his designs for the opera 'Victory Over the Sun'.

This lithograph originates from the 1923 portfolio 'Figurines', which El Lissitzky produced to document his designs for the opera 'Victory Over the Sun'. The original production of this opera, first staged in 1913, was a collaborative effort involving Kazimir Malevich and Mikhail Matyushin. Lissitzky reimagined the characters as mechanical puppets, or 'electro-mechanical' figures, that moved through space according to precise geometric logic.

The composition features two figures constructed from simplified, modular forms. The left figure displays a striped torso and circular elements, while the right figure incorporates rectangular blocks and a triangular head. Lissitzky employs a restricted palette of black, white, red, and yellow to define these forms, creating a sense of volume through subtle shading rather than traditional perspective. The figures appear to exist in a state of transition, caught between human anatomy and industrial machinery.

Lissitzky intended these designs to transcend the limitations of the human body. By replacing actors with mechanical puppets, he sought to create a performance space where the laws of physics and biology were suspended. The 'Sportsmen' plate captures this ambition, presenting the figures as components of a larger, kinetic system. The clean lines and precise arrangement of shapes reflect the broader principles of Constructivism, which prioritised the integration of art into the technological reality of the early twentieth century. This work remains a primary example of how the Russian avant-garde attempted to redefine the relationship between the performer, the stage, and the audience through the lens of modern engineering.