Discover Russian avant-garde artist Natalia Goncharova's exceptional art and life Natalia Goncharova (1881–1962), a key figure of the modernist art movement, gained international fame for her trailblazing experiments in painting and design. Early in her career, she established herself as a leader of the Russian avant-garde with a major show in Moscow in 1913. In France, Goncharova's talents were noticed by Sergei Diaghilev; soon, she was designing costumes and backdrops for Ballets Russes performances in major cities throughout Europe. Goncharova's artistic output traces, influences, and transcends the art movements of the 20th century. She paraded through the streets of Moscow displaying futurist body art, yet worked on religious murals; she participated in avant-garde cinema and created stage designs; she even illustrated socialist newspapers.