Popova died of scarlet fever in Moscow on May 25, 1924, at age 35, shortly after her young son died of the same illness.
Lyubov Popova died on May 25, 1924, in Moscow at the age of 35. Her death came suddenly, following a scarlet fever infection that she contracted from her young son, Alexander, who had also fallen ill. Tragically, her son died first, and Popova succumbed to the disease only days later, leaving behind her husband and collaborators in shock at the loss of one of the most vital figures of the Russian avant-garde.
At the time of her death, Popova was at the height of her creative powers, having moved fluidly between easel painting, stage design, and textile and clothing design for the new Soviet state. She had embraced Constructivism and its ideals of art in service of everyday life, designing fabrics for the First State Textile Print Factory and costumes for revolutionary theater productions.
Her sudden death cut short a career that was actively redefining the boundaries between fine art and applied design in the service of a new socialist society. A major memorial exhibition of her work, along with that of fellow artist Alexandra Exter, was held in Moscow later in 1924, cementing her posthumous reputation as one of the leading women of the Russian avant-garde.
Popova's premature death, alongside that of her son, remains one of the poignant losses of the early Soviet art world, and her innovations continued to influence textile and graphic design long after her passing.