Sonia Delaunay (French, b. Ukraine, 1885-1979) Untitled, 1950 Gouache on paper Gift of Dr. and Mrs. James E. Bever 1999.25
Sonia Delaunay’s Untitled was produced in 1950 during a time
in which Delaunay was working to develop a fascination with
geometry, rhythm and dynamism. Her flourishing relationship
with abstraction in Untitled paralleled a career devoted to
re-imagining the potential of the female body through
revolutionary fashion design. In synthesizing art and fashion,
Delaunay used her unique brand of abstraction to understand
how freedom of expression, color, and line can mirror feminist
efforts to liberate the female body. Untitled fits seamlessly
into a broad, cross-disciplinary resistance against
predetermined systemic boundaries, displaying Delaunay’s
distinct interpretation of artistic and personal identity in
relation to gender politics.