1912
1912
Description
Windows opened simultaneously (1st part, 3rd motif) (French: Fenêtres ouvertes simultaneously Ière partie 3e motif) is an oil painting on canvas made in 1912 by Robert Delaunay. It is part of a collection of paintings with similar titles.
Although Robert Delaunay had previously dismissed figurative images in the spring of 1912 as he embarked on the series of windows, some remains persist in the series. Here, as windows open simultaneously (1st part, 2nd motif), a painting that is also in the same museum, at the same time, the ghost in the center of a green Eiffel Tower alludes to its enthusiasm for modern life.
Analytical Cubism inspired Delaunay to fragment the shape, oval format and organization of the painting space as a grid that supported the intersection of plans. However, unlike the tactical and monochromatic plans of Cubism, Delaunay’s are not defined with lines and moldings, but by the application of diaphanous and binocular colors. Delaunay wrote in 1913: «The line is a limitation. The color gives depth — neither perspective nor successive, but a simultaneous depth — as well as form and movement.» As in the visual perception of the real world, the perception in delaunay’s picture is initially fractional, the eye moves continuously in one way to others related by nuances, value, tone, shape or direction. As the focus changes, it expands, jumps and collapses into endless rhythms, one feels the boundaries set by the margins of the canvas and the tight chain it contains. Because the identification of figurative forms is not necessary when the eyes move without pause, no judgments are made about the relative importance of the parts and all the elements can be perceived as equally significant. The harmony of pictorial reality provides an analogy of the hidden harmony of the world.
To the left of the Delaunay canvas suggests glass, which, like the chromatic planes of the painting, is at the same time transparent, reflective, insubstancial and solid. Glass can allude to both the metaphor of art and a window of reality.
My name is Feely T. Heart, and I will be your guide today through one of our paintings:
Today, we are looking at «Windows Open,» a captivating abstract piece painted by Robert Delaunay in 1912. This artwork, part of a series with similar titles, is a vibrant example of Delaunay’s unique style, which blended elements of Cubism with his own fascination with color and movement.
In «Windows Open,» Delaunay uses a symphony of colors – greens, yellows, oranges, reds, purples – all interwoven with white and black. These colors are not just decorative; they are structured as geometric shapes, forming a loose grid that seems to pulsate with energy. Notice how the shapes overlap and intersect, creating a sense of depth and movement, as if the canvas itself is alive.
Delaunay, inspired by Cubism, breaks down the traditional representation of space. Instead of clearly defined lines, he uses color to create form and depth. The effect is almost like looking through multiple windows at once, each offering a fragmented glimpse of a larger, dynamic reality.
«Windows Open» is not just a painting; it’s a window into a pivotal moment in art history. Delaunay, along with other artists of his time, was pushing the boundaries of what art could be, moving away from realistic representation towards a more abstract exploration of color, light, and form.
This painting, housed in the prestigious Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum, invites us to experience the world in a new way – to see beyond the surface and appreciate the beauty of pure color and form in motion.
This description has been generated by an AI language model and may contain inaccuracies. It should be regarded as an interpretation rather than an analysis by an authoritative human expert. Please, check critical details elsewhere.
«Windows Open» is an oil painting on canvas made in 1912 by Robert Delaunay. This vibrant work, part of a series with similar titles, is currently housed in the Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum. Measuring 130.8 x 195.9 cm (51 1/2 x 77 1/8 in), the painting draws inspiration from Analytical Cubism, evident in its fragmented shapes and grid-like organization.
However, unlike the muted tones often found in Cubism, Delaunay infuses his canvas with a symphony of «diaphanous and binocular colors.» These colors, rather than lines, define the planes and create a sense of «simultaneous depth.» Notice how your eye dances across the canvas, drawn from one hue to the next, mimicking the way we perceive the world around us.
Delaunay believed that «color gives depth,» and in «Windows Open,» he masterfully uses color to craft a dynamic and energetic composition. The painting pulsates with life, inviting us to experience the world in a new and exciting way.
This description has been generated by an AI language model and may contain inaccuracies. It should be regarded as an interpretation rather than an analysis by an authoritative human expert. Please, check critical details elsewhere.
Windows Open (Fenêtres ouvertes simultanément (1re partie 3e motif))
Artwork Type: Oil painting on canvas
Artwork Description: «Windows opened simultaneously (1st part, 3rd motif)» is part of a collection of paintings with similar titles. The painting features fragmented shapes and an oval format, inspired by Analytical Cubism. Delaunay uses a grid-like structure to organize the space, but instead of lines and moldings, he employs diaphanous and binocular colors to define the planes. The colors create a sense of depth and movement, guiding the viewer’s eye across the canvas in a continuous rhythm. The painting suggests the transparency and reflectivity of glass, alluding to both the metaphor of art and a window to reality.
Artwork Date: 1912
Institution Name: Solomon R. Guggenheim Museum
Artwork Size: Not specified
Author Name: Robert Delaunay
This description has been generated by an AI language model and may contain inaccuracies. It should be regarded as an interpretation rather than an analysis by an authoritative human expert. Please, check critical details elsewhere.
Hi everyone, my name is Isabella! Today, we’re going to look at a painting called «Windows Open.» It was made by an artist named Robert Delaunay a long, long time ago, back in 1912!
Have you ever seen a rainbow? This painting is kind of like that, with lots of bright and beautiful colors all mixed together!
What colors can you spot in the painting?
That’s right! There are greens, yellows, oranges, reds, and even purples! And look closely, do you see how the colors make shapes? Some are like squares and rectangles, but they’re all jumbled up and overlapping.
Delaunay didn’t want to paint things exactly how they look in real life. Instead, he used colors and shapes to make us feel like we’re looking through lots of windows at once!
What do you think we might see if we could really climb through those windows?
This description has been generated by an AI language model and may contain inaccuracies. It should be regarded as an interpretation rather than an analysis by an authoritative human expert. Please, check critical details elsewhere.
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Though Robert Delaunay had virtually discarded representational imagery by the spring of 1912 when he embarked on the Windows theme, vestigial objects endure in this series. Here the centralized ghost of a green Eiffel Tower alludes to his enthusiasm for modern life. Analytic Cubism inspired Delaunay’s fragmentation of form, oval format, and organization of the picture’s space as a grid supporting intersecting planes. However, unlike the monochromatic, tactile planes of Cubism, those of Delaunay are not defined by line and modeling, but by the application of diaphanous, prismatic color. As in visual perception of the real world, perception of Delaunay’s painting is initially fragmentary, the eye continually moving from one form to others related by hue, value, tone, shape, or direction. As focus shifts, expands, jumps, and contracts in unending rhythms, one senses the fixed borders of the canvas and the tight interlocking of its contents. Because identification of representational forms is not necessary while the eye moves restlessly, judgments about the relative importance of parts are not made and all elements can be perceived as equally significant.
| Artist | Robert Delaunay |
| Original Title | Fenêtres ouvertes simultanément 1ère partie, 3e motif |
| Date | 1912 |
| Medium | Oil on canvas |
| Dimensions | 57 x 123 cm |
| Credit line | Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice (Solomon R. Guggenheim Foundation, New York) |
| Accession | 76.2553 PG 36 |
| Collection | Peggy Guggenheim Collection |
| Type | Painting |
Left
Right
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Circuit Railway at Grenelle
Antoine Villard
1922
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The Window
Pierre Bonnard
1925
-
Self-Portrait
Camille Pissarro
1903
-
Woman at a Window
Othon Friesz
1919
-
Study for ‘The City’
Robert Delaunay
1909–10
-
Roof Tops in Paris
Paul Serusier
date not known
-
Bottle and Fishes
Georges Braque
c.1910–12
-
Landscape at Céret
Chaïm Soutine
c.1920–1
-
Mandora
Georges Braque
1909–10
On display at Tate Modern
part of In the Studio
-
Endless Rhythm
Robert Delaunay
1934
-
Clarinet and Bottle of Rum on a Mantelpiece
Georges Braque
1911
On display at Tate Modern
part of In the Studio
-
Portrait of Jacques Nayral
Albert Gleizes
1911
Robert Delaunay was a French artist who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes.
Robert was born on April 12, 1885, in Paris. In 1902, after secondary education, he apprenticed in a studio for theater sets in Belleville. In 1903 he started painting and by 1904 was exhibiting. That year and in 1906 his work was shown at the Salon d’Automne and from 1904 until World War I at the Salon des Indépendants.
Between 1905 and 1907 Delaunay became friendly with Henri Rousseau and Jean Metzinger and studied the color theories of Michel-Eugène Chevreul. During these years, he painted in a Neo-Impressionist manner; Paul Cézanne’s work also influenced Delaunay around this time. From 1907 to 1908 he served in the military in Laon, and upon returning to Paris he had contact with the Cubists. The period of 1909–10 saw the emergence of Delaunay’s personal style; he painted his first Eiffel Tower in 1909. In 1910 Delaunay married the painter Sonia Terk, who became his collaborator on many projects.