Pioneering 20th-century abstract artist Sonia Delaunay was known for ignoring the distinction between fine art and applied design. Her body of work encompassed not only paintings and prints but also book illustrations, women’s and men’s fashions, costumes for theater and dance, film sets, wallpaper, furniture and interior decor. More than an expression of her prolific talent, this varied output was her way of erasing the boundary between life and art.
Born Sara Elievna Stern in 1885 to a working-class Jewish family in Ukraine (then part of the Russian Empire), she was adopted as a child by a wealthy maternal uncle in St. Petersburg, who saw to her well-rounded education. There, she picked up the nickname Sonia.
At the age of 18, she left Russia for Germany to study painting, and in 1905, she landed in Paris, where she enrolled in art school. She soon dropped out but continued creating art, producing canvases strongly influenced by Fauvism. Following a brief marriage to gallery owner Wilhelm Uhde, she married fellow artist Robert Delaunay (1885–1941) in 1910. After the birth of her son, Charles, in 1911, she crafted a patchwork crib cover that she considered her first truly abstract piece.
No matter the medium, Delaunay’s passion was color. She and her husband were the main exponents of Orphism, a branch of Cubism defined by abstract compositions and bright shades. They saw their creations as experiments in Simultanéisme, or Simultanism, a color theory based on the work of scientist Michel Eugène Chevreul (1786–1889), who studied the ways in which a given hue can look different depending on the ones around it.
The Delaunays noted that certain pairings seemed to generate a vibration in the eye of the beholder. They felt that this movement captured the dynamism of modern urban life. The couple generally expressed the ideas underpinning Simultanism in their work with flat, overlapping panes of color. In fact, Sonia’s cradle cover melded their tenets with the traditions of Russian-peasant patchwork (also a big Constructivist inspiration).
Seeking to integrate Simultanism into all aspects of life, she designed other abstractly patterned furnishings for their home, which had become a gathering place for the avant-garde, and she worked the designs into their clothes, too, which she and Robert would wear throughout the city and to dance halls — behavior that today would likely be described as performance. In addition to performance, Sonia’s work presaged many other avant-garde movements, such as kinetic art and Op art.
After the upheavals of World War I and the 1917 Russian Revolution, Delaunay retooled herself and opened a business. Keeping her devotion to color juxtaposition front and center, she launched a fabric and fashion atelier where she created textiles, wearable pieces, interior decor and furniture, sometimes collaborating with cabinetmaker Adolphe Chanaux.
Clients who may have found an abstract painting intimidating or inaccessible could enjoy the bright pattern on a cloche-and-scarf set Delaunay created or the striped handbag she designed. In this way, she brought her art into their everyday lives. Her colorful abstract design on a textile or rug could very well have been applied to one of her canvases and hung on a wall or vice versa.
While many women artists of the period were herded away from the fine arts and toward crafts (think Anni Albers), Delaunay was able to do it all. And what’s also so appealing about her oeuvre, to contemporary eyes, is the sense that Delaunay pursued everything — be it painting or fashion or costuming or furniture or graphic design — with equal vigor, without making distinctions between mediums.
Find Sonia Delaunay art for sale on 1stDibs.
Untitled Lithograph by Sonia Delaunay, Modern, Signed, 43/75, 1971
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Berlin, BE
'Untiled' by Sonia Delaunay, 1971. Lithograph in colours on hand made Japanese paper, signed and numbered 43/75 in pencil, from the UNESCO portfolio...
Paper
$1,050
H 2 in W 29.88 in D 0.07 in
Contemporary Signed French Abstract Color Lithograph, Colorful French Modern Art
Located in Miami, FL
Modern French Color Lithograph signed Fitzori, French school color lithograph Titled "Bonjour Madame". This original French color lithograph bursting with vibrant, eye-catching col...
Paper
$279Sale Price|20% Off
H 28.25 in W 17.75 in D 0.1 in
1971 Max Ernst "Orangerie Des Tuileries" Exposition Lithograph
By Max Ernst
Located in San Carlos, CA
Gorgeous color lithograph after Max Ernst. Printed in 1971 to announce a Max Ernst exhibition at L'orangerie des Tuilieres in Paris, France. This Max Ernst Lithograph...
Other
Gravure Lithograph Signed Ferrer
By FERRER
Located in Saint-Ouen, FR
Gravure Lithograph signed Ferrer April 1992, entitled "shared consciousness" Litho: 75cmx55cm Encadrement: l: 93cm, h: 75cm, p: 3cm Contact us before ordering to confirm product ava...
Paper
$376Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.99 in W 18.9 in D 0.04 in
Sonia Delaunay Exhibition 1968 Original Vintage Poster
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Exhibition poster for Sonia Delaunay printed by legendary printmakers Mourlot. This poster is framed in natural oak, please see photos.
Paper
$1,516Sale Price|20% Off
H 41 in W 33.5 in D 1 in
Antoni Tàpies, Untitled Black & White Abstract Lithograph #20 of 75
By Antoni Tàpies
Located in West Palm Beach, FL
Antoni Tàpies, Untitled Black & White Abstract Lithograph #20 of 75 Antoni Tapies (1923–2012) #38 of 300 Black and white lithograph on Arches paper An evocative black and white lith...
Wood, Paper
Abstract Image of Boats, Signed Lithograph, Modern, 1972, 112/150
Located in Philadelphia, PA
Abstract Image of Boats - Lithograph - signed Dated 1972 - 112 or 150 Very nice abstract image with great color. Will look great once framed. a couple of spots along edge a vertica...
Paper
$1,200
H 25.5 in W 35.75 in D 0.013 in
Juan Genoves, Untitled, Serigraph, Limited Edition 20/170, Signed, 1971
Located in San Francisco, CA
ABOUT Juan Genoves, Untitled, Serigraph, Limited Edition 20/170, Signed, 1971, Unframed. CREATOR Juan Genoves (1930 - 2020). DATE OF MANUFACTURE c.1976 MATERIALS AND T...
Paper
Original etching by SONIA DELAUNAY, TOTEM, 1970s, signed
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in AMSTERDAM, NL
Etching and aquatint on Arches wove paper Signed and numbered in pencil Publisher's dry stamp Published by the European Graphic Circle, Amsterdam Image: 76 × 56.5 cm (29.9 × 22.2 in....
Paper
$17,994
H 22.05 in W 29.93 in D 0.04 in
Zao Wou-Ki Engraving with Aquatint, Signed 28/75, Modern Print 1967
By Zao Wou-Ki
Located in SAINT-OUEN-SUR-SEINE, FR
ZAO WOU-KI (趙無極, 1920–2013) Artist: ZAO WOU-KI (趙無極, 1920–2013) Title: Untitled (Agerup 172) Date: 1967 Medium: Etching and aquatint printed in 5 colours from 3 copper plates on Arches wove paper Dimensions: Plate: 37.5 X 53.5 cm Sheet: 56.0 X 76.0 cm Markings: Signed in Chinese and Pinyin and dated '67' in pencil lower right margin; numbered '28/75' in pencil lower left margin Edition: 75 numbered copies (plus artist's proofs) Printer: Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut, Paris Publisher: Galerie La Hune, Paris Catalogue Raisonné / Reference: Jørgen Ågerup, Zao Wou-Ki: The Graphic Work, A Catalogue Raisonné 1937–1995, Skørping: Heede & Moestrup, 1994, cat. no. 172, p. 104 (illustrated). VISUAL & COMPOSITIONAL ANALYSIS Conceived during Zao Wou-Ki’s mid-career period of gestural abstraction, Untitled (Agerup 172) demonstrates the artist’s mastery of intaglio printmaking, realized through his close collaboration with the master printers at Atelier Lacourière et Frélaut in Paris. The composition is structured around an asymmetric spatial polarity: a dense, tectonic mass anchoring the lower-left foreground counterbalanced by a vast, atmospheric expanse that recedes toward the upper-right quadrant. The palette relies on subtle tonal gradations achieved through multiple copper plates and layered aquatint grains. Deep aubergine, umber, and charcoal-black marks form the base of the lower quadrant, accented by mineral ochre and olive tones that structure the vertical mass on the left. Moving upward, these concentrated pigments dissolve into vaporous washes of pale rose, translucent lilac, and faint cerulean, leaving significant breathing space across the upper plane. The mark-making balances drypoint precision with calligraphic velocity. Along the lower ridge, incisions and bite marks produce a complex matrix of tangled strokes reminiscent of fractured root structures or craggy rock faces. In the center, fine, cursive striations pull horizontally across the field, mimicking wind-driven vapor or the dynamic movement of qi (vital breath). In the upper right, several autonomous, sweeping marks hover within the negative space, functioning not as descriptive elements, but as pure physical traces of tension and release. Executed in 1967, this work reflects Zao's transition beyond the rigid lin...
Paper
Vintage Abstract Modern Lithograph Print, Signed
Located in Los Angeles, CA
Condition: Original Vintage Condition Designer: Signed by Artist Manufacturer: Signed by Artist Materials: Lithograph Style: Abstract Modern
Other
Alexander Calder "Lion Tamer" #7/75, Signed Lithograph
By Alexander Calder
Located in Dallas, TX
With its theatrical imagery and unmistakable linework, this signed and numbered Alexander Calder lithograph captures the artist’s enduring fascination with movement, performance, and...
Paper
Lithograph - Richard Smith 27/75
Located in Porto, PT
Lithograph - Richard Smith 27/75. Lithograph with collage; dated 1970. Edition 27/75. Dimensions: 26.5 x 61 cm.
Paper
Macassar Oil Cartoon Ad - 1971 Hand Colored Lithograph
By Thomas Rowlandson
Located in Soquel, CA
Macassar Oil Cartoon Ad - 1971 Hand Colored Lithograph 1971 hand painted over lithograph of Macassar Oil as shown in Thomas Rowland's Medical Caricatures...
Paint, Paper
$575
H 19.69 in W 25.2 in D 0.01 in
Baignade Abstract Etching, Mid-Century Modern, Signed 8/75, France
Located in Miami, FL
Original midcentury abstract etching, partially signed P.Z and numbered 8/75 This limited edition and interesting minimalist work of art has a hand-written title "Baignade" on the b...
Paper
$520Sale Price|20% Off
H 25.6 in W 19.69 in D 0.4 in
Original Vintage Art & Exhibition Poster, 'HOMMAGE A SONIA DELAUNAY', 1975
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Melbourne, Victoria
Original Vintage Art & Exhibition Poster, 'HOMMAGE A SONIA DELAUNAY', 1975 "Sonia Delaunay was a French artist, who spent most of her working life in Paris. She formally trained in Russia and Germany before moving to France...
Paper
"Untitled composition" lithography by Sonia Delaunay 1969
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Renens, CH
Sonia Delaunay, "Untitled composition", 1969 Lithograph in colors on wove paper by Ukrainian born French artist Sonia Delaunay ( 1885-1979 ). Signed in pencil lower right edge; n...
Paper
Set of Nine Sonia Delaunay Design Prints
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Gloucestershire, GB
A collection of nine 20th Century original limited edition stencilled designs for dresses, theatrical costumes etc. created by French artist Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979). Sonia Delaunay from Tableaux Vivants. Circa 1969. All numbered 269 from an edition of 500 Stencilling by Daniel Jacomet, Paris, published by by Edizioni del Naviglio, Milan, on Aussedat vellum, Milan 1969, following a retrospective exhibition of Delaunay’s work. The designs are titled 'Danseuse aux Disques' 1922, 'Tango pour Carnaval de Rio' 1928, 'Triangulaire' 1923, 'Jazz' 1923, 'Spirale pour Carnaval de Rio' 1928, 'La Mendiante' 1925, 'La Toupie...
Paper
Framed Sonia Delaunay Lithography
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Lithography by Sonia Delaunay. Provenance: France Signed in Stone. Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) was a Ukrainian-born French artist, who spent most of her working life in Paris and, with her husband Robert Delaunay and others, cofounded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes. Her work extends to painting, textile design and stage set design...
Paper
Sonia Delaunay Colored Lithograph Art Print
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Los Angeles, CA
modern art from her "Rythm & Color Suite" wonderful color design on wove paper in clear plexiglass frame signed in pencil the print itself is roughly 25.5"H x 19.5"W.
Paper
Sold
H 31 in W 27.5 in D 1.5 in
Mid-Century Modern Framed Lithograph Signed Sonia Delaunay Arlequin 53/75, 1970s
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Keego Harbor, MI
For your consideration is a phenomenal, framed abstract lithograph, signed by Sonia Delaunay Arlequin, numbered 53/75 with 25 H.C. numbered ...
Paper
Sold
H 79.93 in W 56.3 in D 0.08 in
Extra Large Print on Canvas of Sonia Delaunay by Jacques Damase, 1992
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Vlimmeren, BE
This large colorful print on canvas of Sonia Delaunay was edited by Jacques Damase in 1992. This post mortem print is a limited edition of 1000 pr...
Canvas
Original Midcentury Cubist Art Poster by Sonia & Robert Delaunay
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Miami, FL
Original midcentury Sonia & Robert Delaunay cubist art poster from 1966 printed by Mourlot Paris. Sonia Delaunay (November 14, 1885 – December 5, 1979) was a Ukrainian-born French ...
Paper
Sonia Delaunay Etching
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Etching by Sonia Delaunay. Arches paper, stamped and signed. Provenance: France. Sonia Delaunay (1885-1979) was a Ukrainian-born French artist, who spent most of her working lif...
Paper
Sonia Delaunay Lithography
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Barcelona, Barcelona
Litography by Sonia Delaunay. Arches Paper, Stamped and signed. 16/25 numbered Provenance: France Sonia Delaunay (1885 - 1979) was a...
Paper
Sonia Delaunay artist proof Lithograph
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Westport, CT
Sonia Delaunay 1885-1979 cofounder the Orphism art movement,concepts of geometric abstraction.signed and numbered Artist edition #!!
Sonia Delaunay Signed & Numbered Abstract Composition Circles
By Sonia Delaunay
Located in Rochester, NY
A abstract circles composition on wove paper - pencil hand signed and numbered Sonia Delaunay - 7/90 - we believe this to be a color etching aquatint or lithograph dating from the 19...