Vladimir Baranov-Rossiné Ukrainian, 1888-1944

Vladimir Baranov-Rossiné studied at the Art Academy of Odessa, which was considered one of the most progressive in Russia at the time. He was interested in new directions in art, and closely followed the evolution of international modernism. From 1907 to 1909 he participated with Mikhail Larionov and Natalia Gontcharova in several exhibitions of the Russian avant-garde, including Stephanos, Zveno and Vienok Stephanos. He used various techniques, from Gauguin's cloisonnism to Van Gogh's directional brushstrokes, but reinterpreted them in a manner similar to that of the Italian futurists, with whom the Russian avant-garde had close contacts.  Living in Paris from 1910 to 1914, he added cubism to his repertoire, while continuing to explore futurism in most of his paintings, as he shared that movement's interest in decomposing movement. The Italian futurists were prominent in Paris at the time, especially in 1912, when Bernheim-Jeune held a highly acclaimed exhibition of their paintings. After a brief stint in Scandinavia, Baranov-Rossiné returned to Russia shortly after the Revolution of 1917. The next few years were very busy. He was asked to head up the Council of Decorative Arts with Nathan Altman. His interest in the musical qualities of colour brought him to the Higher Art and Technical Studios, where he taught an advanced class on colour and form in three dimensions. 

Baranov-Rossiné moved to Paris permanently in 1925 to escape the persecution of minorities in Russia. He became one of the key members of La Ruche, a group of artists that included Chagall, Kandinsky and Jawlensky.