Larionov’s Swiss Impressions

These five postcards, with images created by Mikhail Larionov for the theatre director Alexander Tairov, were all sent on the same day, October 7 1915. Since July 1915, Larionov and Goncharova had been living in Ouchy, a small town (now a part of Lausanne) on Lake Geneva: they were staying in the same boarding house as Sergei Diaghilev, Leonide Massine and Leon Bakst. A famous photograph of the time shows the company together with Igor Stravinsky.

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Left to right, Léonide Massine, Mikhail Larionov, Léon Bakst (standing); Natalia Goncharova, Igor Stravinsky (sitting). 1915. Ouchy, Switzerland

The images on the postcards are undoubtedly their most important element, skilfully crafted compositions that demonstrate the full range of Larionov's stylistic arsenal - Primitivism, Rayonism and abstract collage. Together with their accompanying texts, the images become a perfectly matched ensemble that could be titled “Swiss Impressions". With his characteristic humour, Larionov writes about the “long, damp" Swiss autumn, the “athletic legs strong, unusually strong" of the residents of Lausanne, and the eyes of a Swiss cow that look like watermelons.

Why was Larionov writing to Tairov? Perhaps the artist still recalled working with the director at the Kamerny Theatre, where the production of Carlo Goldoni's “The Fan" had premiered on January 27 1915. Although it was Natalia Goncharova who created the sets and costumes for the play, Larionov certainly contributed to the project too, if not as an artist then as an advisor. It is also possible that he contemplated working with the promising director Tairov and his young actors from his Kamerny Theatre at some time in the future. Larionov could not possibly have imagined then that the forthcoming revolution would separate him from Russia for good, that he and Goncharova would become “Diaghilev's artists" - and that they would only meet Tairov again eight years later, during the Kamerny Theatre's tour to Paris.

1.
[Cows]
To: Alexander Yakovlevich Tairov
Kamerny Theatre Tverskoi Boulevard. The Parshin House Moscow. Russie Moscou

[old-style orthography; postmark: Lausanne, Ouchy 7.Х.15 (October 7 1915)]
M. Larionov
A light pleinaire: The cows grazing on the snow-covered mountain tops are sweet animals that look like pet rats, only with bells, which cannot be seen here on account of the lack of space.

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2.
[A cow]
To: Tairov
Kamerny Theater. Tverskoi Boulevard. The Parshin House. Moscow. Russie Moscou

[old-style orthography; postmark: Lausanne, Ouchy 7.Х.15 (October 7 1915)]
M. Larionov
Switzerland is proud of having, as an element in its coat of arms, a cow giving milk, chocolate and cheese for the whole world. The cow’s eyes are like two watermelons. And there are no watermelons in Switzerland at all. [Inscription above]: Or maybe it’s a bull? I’m looking through a window, and glass changes eve rything.

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3.
[Residents of Lausanne]
To: Alexander Yakovlevich Tairov
Kamerny Theatre Tverskoi Boulevard. The Parshin House Moscow. Russie Moscou

[old-style orthography; postmark: Lausanne, Ouchy 7.Х.15 (October 7 1915)]
M. Larionov.
The residents of Lausanne, walking by their magnificent lake amidst white seagulls and sails. Their mood is good, their athletic legs strong, unusually strong.

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4.
[Landscape]
To: Alexander Yakovlevich Tairov
Kamerny Theatre Tverskoi Boulevard. The Parshin House Moscow Russie Moscou.

[old-style orthography; postmark: Lausanne, Ouchy 7.Х.15 (October 7 1915)]
M. Larionov
The dreary Swiss autumn as seen by a true Rayonist is a beautiful thing - long, damp and without any human attributes at all.

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5.
[Abstract collage]
To: Alexander Yakovlevich Tairov
Kamerny Theatre Tverskoi Boulevard. The Parshin House Moscow Russie Moscou.

[old-style orthography; postmark: Lausanne, Ouchy 7.Х.15 (October 7 1915)]
M. Larionov
Lausanne in the afternoon: the lake, chocolate, theatre posters, the pavement covered with tar and resin. Take care of yourselves, and share my impressions with our friends.

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