A leader of the Russian avant-garde, Nathalija Gontcharova was among the first to rediscover folk art and icons, drawing on their characteristic flatness, decorative nature, and simplicity for her own avant-garde style,
Rayonism. Her prodigious output included theatrical designs for Sergei Diaghilev, the patron and founder of the Ballets Russes. This work was inspired by the artist’s 1916 visit to Spain, as well as by designs she prepared
for several Spanish-themed ballets that Diaghilev planned but never realized. Spanish Dancer combines the monumental presence of the dancer with the delicate, lacy expanses of her costume. The angular planes
of her dress, sweeping diagonally upward, are reminiscent of the fractured and dynamic forms of Cubist and Futurist paintings.
