Sketch for the ballet by Igor Stravinsky: Fireworks (Feu d'artifice) 1915

Giacomo Balla made this sketch for Igor Stravinsky’s ballet “Fireworks (Feu d'artifice)” with paint on paper, and what strikes me is how he’s thinking through form and color at the same time, kind of like building with light itself. Look at the way Balla applies the paint. It’s pretty straightforward, not trying to hide the process at all. You can almost feel the brushstrokes, especially in those angular shapes of the “fireworks”. The colors are bold, right? Red, green, blue, and a kind of lemony yellow. There’s a real sense of energy and movement, like the whole thing could explode any minute. I like how he uses these stark contrasts to create a sense of depth, but it’s also flat, like a stage set. Balla’s futurist vision reminds me a bit of Sonia Delaunay’s explorations of color and rhythm. There’s this shared sense of trying to capture the dynamism of modern life, but in Balla, you get this exciting theatrical twist. It shows how art is this big conversation, constantly bouncing ideas around through time.