Color and Movement According to Robert Delaunay
“Not everyone can become a great artist, but a great artist can come from anywhere.” —Anton Ego
From developing his own color theory to laying the foundations for abstract art, Robert-Victor-Félix Delaunay left an unmistakable mark on the art world, all while overcoming an uncertain start.
Born in 1885, to upper class parents, Delaunay spent a brief growing-up period in Paris, France. When he was around the age of four, his parents divorced, and young Robert was sent to live with his aunt and uncle in La Ronchére, where he would spend the remainder of his formative years.
After a leaden performance in his early education, Delaunay was sent, by his uncle, to work as an apprentice at Belleville theatre. It was through this apprenticeship, that he learned the skill of building large-scale sets. This experience would serve him well in later years, when he was commissioned to design murals for the aeronautical pavilion at the Exposition Internationale des Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne.
In his earlier school years, Delaunay had shown an interest in art. With this love of art and a theater apprenticeship under his belt, he began to paint and travel. His first European adventures introduced him to artistic greats, such as Henri Rousseau and Jean Metzinger. These experiences and creative influences would see him begin exhibiting his work, in 1904, at the Salon des Independents and Salon d’Automne.
Upon his return to France, he would meet his future wife and artistic partner, Sonia Terk. It wasn’t until their lives intertwined, that Delaunay’s personal art style emerged. With the birth of their son, also came the birth of the Orphism movement. Sonia, an artist in her own right, made a quilt for their infant son, using both Russian textile and Cubism influences. The resulting piece inspired Delaunay to explore an art type, that he referred to as “simultaneous”—a term, that would be replaced with “orphic,” by poet Guillaume Apollinaire.
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| Eiffel Tower, Robert Delaunay (1911) |
This discovery of color placement and geometric design, would lead to his famous circle paintings and Eiffel Tower series—the latter of which, would garner him the attention of the art world, and further his inclusion in prestigious exhibitions throughout Europe. It was during this pre-World War 1 period, that Delaunay wrote an essay entitled “Notes on the Construction of Reality in Pure Painting”—an influential writing in the progression of abstract art theory.
Possibly due to his success and influence upon fellow peers, Delaunay developed a sense of superiority, when it came to art. Gertrude Stein, an American novelist and poet, once wrote of Delaunay:
“He sees himself as a grand solitary figure when in reality he’s an endless chatterbox who will tell anyone about himself and his significance any time of day or night.”
Regardless of personal or public opinion, Robert Delaunay, through intellectual curiosity, overcame a troubled childhood and precarious education to provide future generations a stable foundation in abstract art.
If you would like to learn more about Robert Delaunay and his contribution to modern art, please see my reference links below.
So let each one give as he purposes in his heart, not grudgingly or of necessity; for God loves a cheerful giver.
II Corinthians 9:7
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