The Great Portuguese Woman

In this piece a Portuguese woman appears to be in a domestic setting, doing household chores. The artist has suggested that we are seeing an internal space with the inclusion of a plant in its pot, and the figure holding what could be a plate. In this kitchen, Delaunay has reduced various objects to flat circles: the object held by the woman, her hat and a small bowl of fruit to her side. This piece shows characteristic traits of Delaunay: the circular motif for which he is most famous, a bright colour palette, and abstraction of real forms. The “Orphist” movement which was pioneered by both Robert and Sonia Delaunay is typified by geometric forms and bold colour schemes. Delaunay has splintered the real space of the scene. There is no consistent sense of three-dimensional perspective, and objects blend into a pattern of curves and circles.