Sonia Delaunay, painter, engraver and ceramist.

Sonia Delaunay, who traversed the landscape of modern art, is currently being highlighted in a major exhibition at the Petit Palais titled "Le Paris de la modernité". Born in Ukraine in 1885, Delaunay made her home in Paris during the 1920s, contributing to the joy and creativity of the renowned "Roaring Twenties". Along with Robert Delaunay, and contemporaries like painters Kupka, Léger, and Picabia, she diligently practiced Orphism, pushing the boundaries of emerging abstract art.

Sonia Delaunay's work, particularly her printmaking, is experiencing a renewed interest. She engaged in lithography, engraving, and screen printing, as well as ceramics, which allowed her to express herself with new techniques and disseminate her work more widely.

The lithographs and illustrated books.

Sonia Delaunay, "Rencontre," 1964-69, Lithograph, 81 cm x 63 cm, limited edition of 100 prints.

This magnificent large-format lithograph illustrates the pinnacle of Orphism as practiced by Sonia Delaunay. The prismatic light is broken down into interlocking color fields that rhythmically structure the composition. We observe the famous color rhythms that mark the artist's work. Through a layering of colors and shaded areas, this lithograph offers a wide variety of textures and a beautiful balance.

Sonia Delaunay collaborated with many publishers known to enthusiasts of the new School of Paris, particularly with Galerie Denise René for stencils and screen prints that do justice to the artist's use of pure color blocks. The artist also illustrated numerous works, including the famous "Prose du transsibérien" with poet Blaise Cendrars. Additionally, she produced more confidential illustrated books, like Les illuminations de Rimbaud published by Jacques Damase and printed by Atelier Jacomet, which are a great way to acquire a beautiful original print by Sonia Delaunay.

Sonia Delaunay, "Cathédrale," 1970, Etching and aquatint, 66 cm x 50.5 cm, limited edition of 125 prints.

This late etching showcases the artist's technical and creative range. Rounded shapes and bright colors give way to interlocking diaphanous squares. A top arch forms the keystone of the composition, aptly named “Cathedral”. The tight crosshatching achieved through etching and the granular color fields made possible by aquatint are observable. The diversity of form, texture, and color, held together by a colossal composition, make it a major print of Sonia Delaunay.

Collecting Sonia Delaunay's engraved work is delightful but also carries risks! Indeed, there is no complete catalogue raisonné of the artist's prints detailing the different works and their editions precisely. Therefore, it's advisable to turn to a specialized gallery, such as Le Coin des Arts, which has extensive experience handling Sonia Delaunay's prints and will provide a certificate of authenticity.

Sonia Delaunay ceramist.

Sonia Delaunay's career as a ceramist is less well-known. The porcelain plate below combines the two artistic approaches seen in her previous works. The colored squares form the background of a tight Orphic composition, inspired by Sonia Delaunay's gouaches.

The third dimension provided by ceramics allows for plays of shadow and light, as well as multiple views of this protean work.

Sonia Delaunay, "Rythmes circulaires," 1980, porcelain plate, 40 cm, limited edition of 900 copies.

Two major exhibitions in March 2024.

We are dedicating a solo show to Sonia Delaunay at our Marais gallery, where you can discover the works presented in this article, along with a dozen other prints by the artist.

For the Paris Print Fair, we are highlighting female artists, with pioneers Sonia Delaunay, Vieira da Silva, Niki de Saint-Phalle, as well as contemporary artists Seiko Tachibana and Sara Fratini.

Sonia Delaunay exhibition at Le Coin des Arts gallery - 53 rue de Turenne from March 21 to April 6, and at the Paris Print Fair from March 21 to 24, 2024.

Thaddée Poliakoff