‘
Goncharov was born in Tula province to a family of noble lineage. Her father’s family connected directly back to Pushkin whose novels she would one day illustrate. At art school in Moscow she met her partner Mikhail Larionov and they worked together through upheavals in Russia, exile in Paris, ill health and intermittent poverty until the end of their days.The Smoker 1911 obviously takes off from looking hard at Cezanne but sends the subject straight back to Russia’ (Laura Cumming).