Wraparound cover for the program S'ezd komitetov derevenskoi bednoty (Congress of Committees of Peasant Poverty)

Kazimir Malevich’s Wraparound cover for the program S'ezd komitetov derevenskoi bednoty (Congress of Committees of Peasant Poverty), executed in 1918, is a foundational example of the Russian avant-garde’s integration into functional graphic design during the post-Revolutionary period. Classified as an illustrated book, this work utilizes the medium of lithograph, a pragmatic and efficient choice for mass production and rapid dissemination required by the volatile political landscape of the time. The Congress of Committees of Peasant Poverty (Kombedy) was a crucial organizational structure implemented by the Bolshevik regime to secure influence and logistical control within rural areas, making this cover design highly relevant to state political utility.

The design showcases Malevich’s application of geometric abstraction to solve a communicative problem. While the artist’s output at this time was shifting away from the purely spiritual aspirations of earlier Suprematist canvases, he maintained the use of bold, elemental shapes, dynamic diagonals, and reductive forms. These characteristics imbue the 1918 lithograph with a sense of energy and purpose appropriate for a document of revolutionary urgency. The aesthetics employed reflect the broader cultural movement toward Constructivism and Productivism, where art was redefined as a means to serve and organize the new socialist state and its institutions.

This important Russian work highlights the necessity of robust graphic design and mass-produced prints in the early Soviet Union. Malevich's cover functions both as propaganda and as a clear, modern visual marker for a key political program. The functional and abstract visual language established by this period had a profound effect on 20th-century design. Due to the historical nature of many such historical works, the visual information from early prints such as this is often considered within the public domain for reference and study. This original piece is a pivotal acquisition in the permanent collection of the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA), recognizing its historical and aesthetic importance in the development of modern graphic arts.