The Athlete of the Future 1913

Kazimir Malevich made this watercolor, entitled The Athlete of the Future, on paper. Look at how the washes of color bleed softly, as if they're still settling into place. I can imagine Malevich, in his studio, tilting the paper this way and that, letting the water guide the pigment. The black spreads boldly across the torso, pooling with a dense opacity that suggests weight and form, while the red accents—hands, feet, and that curious clover-shaped head—pop with surprising vivacity. You can almost feel Malevich’s hand moving, the brush dancing across the page. The texture is smooth, with delicate ripples where the water has dried, leaving behind a ghost of its journey. This artist echoes Cubism but ultimately speaks to an individual approach to the avant-garde. These artists are always talking to each other, aren't they? Each stroke and color choice is a thought, an idea, a feeling made visible. They are pushing the boundaries, inspiring us to see the world in new ways.