Untitled gouache (Illustration for Tristan Tzara's "Le fruit permis") 1956

Sonia Delaunay made this untitled gouache as an illustration for Tristan Tzara’s "Le fruit permis". Her mark making feels so intuitive and immediate – it’s like she’s in a direct conversation with the materials, using squares and semi-circles, with a real focus on process. Up close, you can see the texture of the gouache, how it sits on the surface, and how the colours – red, blue, green, and black – play off each other, each shape distinct but also connected. Look at the way she layers the black squares so they float over the semi circles, anchoring the composition. The semi circles themselves are soft and chalky, butting up against the dense, flat red squares. The shapes recall the hard-edged abstraction of someone like Ellsworth Kelly, but Delaunay’s touch is softer, more gestural, embracing the imperfections and the handmade quality of the work. For Delaunay, it’s not about precision, but about feeling.