Proun G7, an abstract painting created by El Lissitzky in 1923, resides in the Kunstsammlung Nordrhein-Westfalen, Düsseldorf. The painting measures 77 x 62cm and is part of a series of paintings called Prouns. It belongs to the Constructivism artistic style, which was an important art movement of El Lissitzky’s time and is notable through its geometric shapes and forms to express a revolutionary spirit while celebrating industry and technology.
In this artwork, we can see how El Lissitzky cleverly combines shapes like spheres and rectangles that are associated with industrial properties to create a constructivist artwork. He used yellow and blue as main colors and minimal brushstrokes to execute the painting. Through his use of color and composition, El Lissitzky provides the viewer with an intriguing visual experience that allows us to interpret each part of the artwork in many different ways.
No review about this painting is complete without mentioning its counterpart, Proun 19D. Created two years earlier by the same artist, it has very similar characteristics as Proun G7; however it does present some different elements such as more vibrant colorsand more organic shapes instead of geometric forms. Both particularities explain why this piece stands out among other paintings from this series.
Overall, these two artworks make a great example of El Lissitzky’s Constructivism pieces that allow us an insight into his complex vision on modernity and its impact on society in the early 20th century.
