Cigarette Seller on Strastnaya Square
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
- 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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