The artwork titled “Coward” by Kazimir Malevich, created in 1913, is rendered in pencil on paper. Belonging to the Constructivism art movement, this piece is a sketch and study measuring 27 by 21 centimeters. It is presently housed in the St. Petersburg State Museum of Theater and Music, located in Saint Petersburg, Russia.
The artwork presents a stylized figure captured in minimalistic, geometric forms characteristic of Constructivism. The figure, delineated primarily with black pencil lines, wears a brimming hat and has an angular, inverted triangular shape for the head. The body, rendered as a yellow rectangular block, tilts forward, suggesting motion or hesitance. The bottom portion is styled to depict one leg in a darker hue, possibly blue, and one in a lighter shade, augmenting a sense of depth and dimension. Simplicity and abstraction dominate the composition, allowing the viewer to focus on the essence and form rather than over-embellished details.