Natalia Goncharova (1881-1962)

Inspired by his travels through Northern Italy in 1915-16, Sergei Diaghilev began working with Léonide Massine shortly after on an idea for a ballet based on the art and religious rites of the Renaissance and of Byzantium. Natalia Goncharova produced preliminary works for the performance, which was to comprise of a series of moving tableaux narrating the life of Christ through music and dance. While the performance did not come fruition, the involvement of prominent figures from the Russian avant-garde movement and from Russia's cultural elite testifies to the visionary nature of the project.