Reaper 1932

Kazimir Malevich made this painting, 'Reaper', and it’s got this figure rendered in simplified volumes, set against an equally stylized landscape of greens and yellows. I can imagine Malevich standing before the canvas, probably outdoors, squinting slightly in the sun. The painting almost feels like a memory or a dream, with the bright reds of the feet and hands contrasting so strongly against the white and dark blue of the figure's clothing. The figure's body is bent to the task, her labor made monumental. I think of the Italian painter, Leger, or even Picasso, maybe, and the way they also played with form. But Malevich brings something else, a kind of earthy, almost holy quality to the everyday subject. Each mark builds up the image, but also conveys a sense of feeling and the figure in the landscape. The painting is both an idea and a presence. It lingers in your mind, and like all great art, it offers more questions than answers.