Sportsmen 1931

In Kazimir Malevich’s painting “Sportsmen,” we find these four figures standing shoulder to shoulder, each a patchwork of bright hues. Imagine Malevich, brush in hand, layering these colours, teasing out the forms with sharp, geometric precision. I think he’s having fun here, creating a kind of chromatic puzzle. Each figure is divided, bisected by colour, and it makes you wonder, what’s the game they're playing? The paint is applied in flat planes, solid blocks that define the bodies, their clothing. The texture seems smooth, almost like a fresco, each colour contained and distinct. The red and blue figure is interesting; the right side is red, while the left is blue, it’s like he's playing with flags or signs. Malevich was always pushing boundaries, exploring new ways of seeing, and in ‘Sportsmen,’ he invites us to play along, to find our own meaning in his abstract game. His work speaks to a larger conversation among painters across time, each building on the ideas of the others, inspiring new visions and possibilities.