| Orphism -- The History | | | | flow freely and become 'lyrical' in a synchronized |
| The word 'Orphism' belongs to the ancient Greek | | | | fashion. At this stage, the whole situation attains |
| Mythology, referencing the poet and musician | | | | the status of Orphism. This was the concept well |
| Orpheus. Poet Guillaume Apollinaire tossed this | | | | molded on Delaunay's canvas. |
| term 'Orphism' in 1912 to eulogize the works of | | | | In one of his works "Sun Disks" (1912-13), Robert |
| painter Robert Delaunay (1885-1941). Robert | | | | painted superimposed circles of different colors. |
| Delaunay was a Cubism inspired painter, whose | | | | The circles rhythm with each other in harmony |
| colorful works were also called Orphic Cubism. | | | | and the movement can be considered as |
| Delaunay started a new genre of painting, wanting | | | | harmonious musical notes. Another work from a |
| it to appeal to the human senses. The style was | | | | famous painter Frantisek Kupka or famously |
| a pattern of overlapping contrast colors. The sole | | | | known as Kupka, titled "Disks of Newton," shows |
| idea of Orphism was to submerge the concept of | | | | the musical analogy. The synchronization of |
| music with colors. | | | | vibrant colors was created to unite the ideas, |
| Orphic Artists | | | | which were visual as well as musical. |
| The pattern of submergence in Orphism attracted | | | | The Details |
| many painters of that time, such as Sonia | | | | Orphism was an obvious leap in the field of |
| Delaunay, Robert Delaunay's wife, Marcel | | | | painting from Cubist form of painting to |
| Duchamp, Wassily Kandinsky, Fernand Leger, | | | | Abstractionist approach. Orphism focused more |
| Francis Picabia, and Franz Kupka. | | | | on human expressions and prominently arose |
| Orphic Examples | | | | human sensations. Initially, even Orphism had |
| Apollinaire treated Robert Delaunay as the pioneer | | | | some valuable subjects, but later, due to its |
| of Orphism, which he certainly was. Though, he | | | | dynamic nature, Orphism was fairly absorbed by |
| was a painter of Cubist origin, but he never | | | | the Abstract structures and forms. After some |
| robbed the colors off his paintings. He always | | | | time, the art style rubbed off the static subjects |
| maintained that colors are the strongest and the | | | | and topics and tended towards forms & |
| most powerful aesthetic measure of a painting. He | | | | colors alone to correspond and communicate. |
| applied the theories of Michel-Eugène | | | | After enjoying a great period, Orphism and the |
| Chevreul, a chemist, on colors and Cubism, though | | | | Orphist group faced an untimely end. At the |
| in Abstract ways. Robert was keen to see the | | | | arrival of the World War I, this art movement |
| effects of colors and light, when they are not | | | | ended. Orphism movement however, had its |
| tied-up with an object. That dynamism gave a | | | | significant effect on many Abstract Art |
| sense of music to his paintings. When the colors | | | | movements, precisely 'Lyrical Abstraction,' later. |
| and lights are not attached to an object, they | | | | |