Black Square (Russian Чёрный квадрат) is a 1915 oil on linen canvas painting by the artist Kazimir Malevich The first of four painted versions, the original was completed in 1915 and described by the artist as his breakthrough work and the inception for the launch of his Suprematist art movement (1915–1919).^[1]

He replicated his “Black Square” three times after 1915. Each of the three versions was done for a different exhibition. The first replica was associated with the 1924 Venice Biennale, where the artist wanted to show his monumental triptych “Square, Circle and Cross” (State Russian Museum). The second was the “Black Square” of 1929. The last, small-sized version of the “Black Square” was done by Malevich in 1931-1932 (State Hermitage) to be displayed at two exhibitions: “Art of the Imperialist Epoch” and “Artists of the RSFSR: 15 years”.

The “Black Square” (1929) is the closest to the initial version of 1915 and is nearly the same size (1915 – 79.5 х 79.5; 1929 – 80.0 х 80.0). The artist created it for his solo exhibition in the Tretyakov Gallery that opened in late 1929. One of the gallery employees of that time recalled: “Some craquelures have appeared on the ‘Black Square’ [1915]. Kazimir Severinovich began to paint a replica to substitute it for the perishing original. He copied his picture scrupulously in the mornings when the public was not allowed into the halls”.