Mikhail Sokolov’s graphic art is a controversial phenomenon, or rather an aggregation of controversial and contradictory phenomena, reflection of the controversial and complex personality of one of the most outstanding artists of the twenties and thirties. His graphic works combine stylazation and maestrism, an inclination towards dramatic effects and a virtually naive spontaneity. His work has been highly praised by the renowned art historians Nikolay Punin and Nikolay Tarabukin and nowadays is being discussed as a unique page in the history of twentieth century Russian art, that still has to be read to the end.

Some of the works published here have been created by Mikhail Sokolov before 1923, the year when he destroyed the greater part of his early works. The other works are subsequent to this sudden change in his artistic tastes and priorities.

The first part is represented by the cubist, cubo-futurist and non-objective compositions, the second one by the sheets from the Calvary series.