Pervyi tsikl lektsii chitannykh na kratkosrochnykh kursakh dlia uchitelei risovaniia (First Series of Lectures, Given at a Short-Term Course for Teachers of Drawing)

Pervyi tsikl lektsii chitannykh na kratkosrochnykh kursakh dlia uchitelei risovaniia (First Series of Lectures, Given at a Short-Term Course for Teachers of Drawing) by Kazimir Malevich is a foundational document detailing the artist’s pedagogical theories during the height of the Soviet avant-garde movement. Classified as an Illustrated Book, this seminal piece from 1920 is presented as a printed book featuring a stark letterpress cover. It captures Malevich's attempts to formalize and institutionalize the principles of Suprematism, translating his radical non-objective aesthetic from the canvas into a reproducible, teachable curriculum designed for drawing instructors.

In the early 1920s, the Russian art world was intensely focused on integrating abstract theories into widespread educational systems. Malevich, having previously founded UNOVIS (Affirmers of the New Art), was deeply involved in restructuring art education. This book compiles the systematic content of his lectures, serving as a critical guide that moves beyond purely theoretical discourse to provide practical instructions on geometric composition and the fundamentals of Suprematist construction. The publication demonstrates the artist's ambition to replace traditional academic drawing methods with a new visual language rooted in the supremacy of pure feeling and geometric form.

Issued in the pivotal year of 1920, this material provides invaluable insight into the intellectual efforts of the post-revolutionary movement to use art and design as catalysts for societal change. The book’s contents, often studied through high-quality facsimiles and prints, continue to inform modern art historical understanding of the era. This significant illustrated book, demonstrating the intersection of revolutionary theory and state-sponsored education, is a key component of the Museum of Modern Art, New York’s collection of avant-garde graphic works.