Cigarette Seller on Strastnaya Square

1927

Not on view

A founder of Russian Constructivism, the avant-garde movement that flourished following the Soviet revolution, Rodchenko began experimenting with photomontage in the 1920s before taking his own photographs, many of which depict political events and urban life. In this image, the square bustles with movement and energy, from the cars and people to the signage that emblazons both the cigarette vendor’s wares and the buildings in the background. Rodchenko’s photographs featuring posters and advertisements in urban spaces often convey how printed texts seemed to compete for the attention of the modern viewer.

Artwork Details

Overview

Signatures, Inscriptions, and Markings

Provenance

Title: Cigarette Seller on Strastnaya Square
Artist: Alexander Rodchenko (Russian, St. Petersburg 1891–1956 Moscow)
Date: 1927
Medium: Gelatin silver print
Dimensions: Image: 11 5/16 in. × 17 in. (28.7 × 43.2 cm)
Sheet: 11 5/16 in. × 17 in. (28.7 × 43.2 cm)
Classification: Photographs
Credit Line: Purchase, Alfred Stieglitz Society Gifts, 2015
Object Number: 2015.74
Curatorial Department: Photographs

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Vladimir Majakowski, Alexander Rodchenko Russian, Gelatin silver print — Vladimir Majakowski
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