Artwork
Rythme n°2, décoration pour le salon des Tuileries
Rythme n°2, décoration pour le salon des Tuileries is an oil painting by Robert Delaunay. It dates from 1938 and is held in the collection of the Musée d'art moderne de Paris.
About this work
Overview
Robert Delaunay’s Rythme n°2, created in 1938, is an oil painting intended as a decorative element for the Salon des Tuileries. The work resides in the Musée d’art moderne de Paris and exemplifies Delaunay’s mature abstract language, focusing on the interplay of color and form rather than representational content.
Subject & Meaning
The composition consists of a series of overlapping circles that radiate outward, generating a visual pulse that suggests movement and vibration. By arranging hues in concentric layers, Delaunay evokes a sense of rhythmic energy, inviting viewers to experience the painting as a visual manifestation of musical tempo.
Technique & Style
Executed in oil, the surface displays subtle brushwork that yields a delicate texture, enhancing the luminous quality of the pigments. Delaunay employs a palette ranging from muted pastels to saturated tones, allowing the circles to recede and advance, thereby creating depth through color modulation rather than linear perspective.
History & Provenance
Commissioned for the Salon des Tuileries, the piece reflects the artist’s involvement in large‑scale decorative projects of the late 1930s. After its initial installation, the painting entered the collection of the Musée d’art moderne de Paris, where it remains on display as part of the museum’s representation of early 20th‑century abstraction.
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Artist & collection
Artist
Robert Delaunay was a French artist of the School of Paris movement; who, with his wife Sonia Delaunay and others, co-founded the Orphism art movement, noted for its use of strong colours and geometric shapes.
