Delaunay, S.
Original gouache design in light green, blue, red and black. Signed by the artist in black ink.
[Paris], unpublished, [ca. 1970]. Single leaf (25.0 x 18.6 cm). Original gouache design on verso of printed leaf.
This is an archetypal design by the French-Ukrainian Art Deco artist, Sonia Ilinitchna Delaunay, née Stern (1885-1979). 'Together with her husband, the artist Robert Delaunay, she developed "…Orphism or Orphic Cubism, a term coined by the French poet Guillaume Apollinaire in 1912, [it] was an offshoot of Cubism that focused on pure abstraction and bright colors, influenced by Fauvism, the theoretical writings of Paul Signac, Charles Henry and the dye chemist Eugène Chevreul. This movement, perceived as key in the transition from Cubism to Abstract art, was pioneered by František Kupka, Robert Delaunay and Sonia Delaunay, who relaunched the use of color during the monochromatic phase of Cubism. The meaning of the term Orphism was elusive when it first appeared and remains to some extent vague" (WikiArt). On the design's verso, a black-and-white print numbered '343'; perhaps a cover design for a catalogue of Sonia Delaunay's work. However, we have not seen a published catalogue with this design. Edges a trifle toned; a few light, small spots and a scratch, otherwise in very good condition. A unique item.