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Robert Delaunay (April 12, 1885 – October
25, 1941) was a French artist. He was born in
Paris, France, and died in Montpellier, France

Delaunay concentrated on impressionism, while his
later works were more abstract, reminiscent of
Paul Klee. His key influence related to bold use
of colour, and a clear love of experimentation of
both depth and tone.

While he was child, Delaunay's parents divorced,
and he was raised by his uncle, in La Ronchère
(near Bourges). He took up painting at an early
age, and by 1903, he was producing mature imagery
in a confident, impressionistic style.

In 1908, after a term in the military working as a
regimental librarian, he met Sonia Terk, who he
later married, but at the time she was married to
a German art dealer.

In 1909, Delaunay began to paint the series of
studies of the city of Paris and the Eiffel Tower.
The 1910|following year, he married Terk, and the
couple settled in a studio apartment in Paris,
where they later had a son.

At the invitation of Wassily Kandinsky, Delaunay
joined The Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter), a
Munich-based group of abstract art|abstract
artists, in 1911, and his art took a turn to the
abstract.

The outbreak of the World War I found the Delaunay
and his wife vacationing in Spain, and they
settled with friends in Portugal for the duration
of the conflict. During this period, the couple
took on several jobs designing costumes for the
Madrid Opera, and Sonia Delaunay started a fashion
design business.

After the war, in 1921, they returned to Paris.
Delaunay continued to work in a mostly abstract
style. During the Exposition Internationale de
Arts et Techniques dans la Vie Moderne (1937)|1937
World's Fair in Paris, Delaunay participated in
the design of the railway and air travel
pavilions. 

When World War II erupted, the Delaunays moved to
the Auvergne (province)|Auvergne, in an effort to
avoid the invading Germany|German forces.
Suffering from cancer, Delaunay was unable to
endure being moved around, and his health
deteriorated. He died October 25, 1941 in
Montpellier.

==External links==
*http://www.artchive.com/artchive/D/delaunay.html
Quotes and images at artchive.com
*http://www.artcyclopedia.com/artists/delaunay_rob
ert.html Entry at artcyclopedia.com
*http://www.guggenheim-venice.it/english/06_artist
s/delaunay.htm Brief overview at the Peggy
Guggenheim Collection site