Sonia Delaunay
- Born:
- November 14, 1885, Gradizhsk, Ukraine
- Died:
- December 5, 1979, Paris, France
- Nationality:
- French (originally Ukrainian)
- Profession(s):
- Painter, Designer (textiles, fashion, stage), Printmaker
Early Life and Education
- Born Sarah Stern to a Jewish family in Ukraine and raised by her maternal uncle, Henri Terk, in St. Petersburg, Russia.
- Received art education in St. Petersburg before moving to Germany in 1903.
- Studied at the Académie de la Palette in Paris from 1905.
Career and Major Achievements
- Developed Simultanéism, an abstract style characterized by dynamic rhythmic contrasts of color.
- Collaborated extensively with her husband, Robert Delaunay, on Simultanéist projects.
- Designed costumes and sets for Sergei Diaghilev's Ballets Russes in 1918.
- Established her own fashion and textile design business in the 1920s.
- Designed fabrics for Metz & Co., a Dutch department store, and collaborated with Liberty of London.
- Commissioned to create large-scale murals for the 1937 Paris International Exposition.
- First living female artist to have a retrospective exhibition at the Louvre in 1964.
Notable Works
- Electric Prisms (1914)
- Bal Bullier (1913)
- Textile designs for Jacques Heim (1920s)
- Murals for the Palais de l'Air at the 1937 Paris International Exposition
Legacy and Impact
Sonia Delaunay was a pioneer of abstract art and a key figure in the development of Simultanéism. Her innovative use of color and her exploration of abstraction across various media, including Sonia Delaunay painting abstract forms and patterns, significantly influenced the course of modern art and design. Her diverse body of work, encompassing painting, textiles, fashion, and stage design, cemented her position as a leading artist of the 20th century.