Red Cavalry - Kazimir Malevich

A seminal work by Kazimir Malevich, featuring three groups of red horsemen moving across a series of precisely rendered, horizontal coloured bands.

Red Cavalry, painted by Kazimir Malevich between 1928 and 1932, represents a departure from the artist's earlier, purely non-objective Suprematist compositions. While Malevich is best known for his geometric abstractions, this work reintroduces figurative elements, specifically the mounted soldiers, set against a highly structured, horizontal field. The composition is divided into three distinct zones: the sky, the earth, and the ground upon which the cavalry rides.

The sky occupies the upper portion of the canvas, rendered in a gradient that transitions from a deep, saturated blue at the top to a pale, atmospheric white near the horizon line. Below this, the earth is depicted as a series of parallel, coloured bands. These stripes of ochre, green, and black create a sense of rhythmic movement, echoing the forward motion of the riders. The cavalry itself consists of three groups of horsemen, painted in a uniform, bright red. Their silhouettes are simplified and repetitive, functioning as graphic symbols rather than realistic portraits of soldiers.

Malevich employs a rigorous mathematical approach to the placement of these elements. The horizon line and the bands of colour are precisely measured, reflecting the artist's interest in the relationship between space and form. Despite the inclusion of recognizable subjects, the painting retains the formal clarity of his earlier work. The contrast between the static, horizontal bands and the dynamic, rhythmic movement of the red figures creates a tension that defines the visual experience of the piece. This work is held in the collection of the State Russian Museum in Saint Petersburg, where it remains a primary example of Malevich's later period, during which he returned to figurative themes while maintaining the structural logic of his Suprematist theories.