Meat was painted by Vladimir Tatlin in 1947.

Where can I see Meat?

Meat is held by Tretyakov Gallery.

What movement is Meat?

Meat is associated with Contemporary Abstract.

Can I buy a print of Meat?

Museum-quality prints of Meat are available made-to-order from Artifact World Gallery.

Artwork

Meat

Vladimir Tatlin , 1947

Meat is an oil painting by the Contemporary Abstract artist Vladimir Tatlin. It dates from 1947 and is held in the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery.

About this work

Overview

Created in 1947, Meat is an oil painting by Vladimir Tatlin, a Russian artist associated with the Soviet avant‑garde and constructivist circles. The work is part of the collection of the Tretyakov Gallery in Moscow and is catalogued within the broader trajectory of mid‑twentieth‑century abstract tendencies, despite its representational subject matter.

Subject & Meaning

The canvas presents a solitary slab of raw meat, most likely beef or pork, rendered with a knife laid across its surface. The composition isolates the flesh and the blade, emphasizing materiality and the quotidian act of preparation, while the starkness invites contemplation of consumption and the physicality of sustenance.

Technique & Style

Tatlin employs a muted palette of browns, ochres, and deep reds, applying oil paint with meticulous brushwork that captures the texture of muscle fibers and the sheen of fat. The rendering is notably realistic, focusing on surface detail and tonal subtlety rather than decorative flourish, achieving a restrained visual clarity.

History & Provenance

After its completion, the painting entered the holdings of the State Tretyakov Gallery, where it has remained on public display. Its acquisition reflects the museum’s post‑war effort to document the output of prominent Soviet artists whose work straddled avant‑garde experimentation and state‑approved realism.

Context

Tatlin is best known for his architectural projects, especially the unbuilt Monument to the Third International, often called Tatlin’s Tower. Meat emerges from a period when he turned to painting, integrating his constructivist sensibility into a more conventional still‑life format, thereby bridging his earlier spatial concerns with a focus on material objects.