Sonia Delaunay

Born Sara Stern in Ukraine and raised in St. Petersburg, Sonia Delaunay studied at the Academy of Fine Arts in Karlsruhe and the Académie de La Palette in Paris. Active in the Paris art scene at the turn of the twentieth century, Delaunay was greatly influenced by the city’s burgeoning modernist movement. Her abstract aesthetic was propelled by color theory and the geometric forms pervasive in cubist painting of the period. A remarkably diverse and prolific artist, Delaunay was also a skilled fashion designer, textile designer, and interior decorator who collaborated frequently with other artists, including her husband, painter Robert Delaunay. Her designs are bold, graphic, and vibrant, speaking to her mastery of color and composition. For her artistic accomplishments, in 1975 she was awarded membership in the Legion of Honor.