A fine art Mural today. ‘Propeller’, Air Pavillion, 1937 by Sonia Delaunay.

From the Tate exhibition notes:

“Sonia and Robert were both invited to contribute to the 1937 Paris Exhibition, a project that would take up much of their time and energy over the best part of two years.

Entitled The International Exhibition of Arts and Technology in Modern Life, it was intended to celebrate scientific innovation and boost trade. Working as part of a collective called Art and Light, with a team of out-of-work artists to assist them, the Delaunays helped to design and decorate two of the exhibition buildings.

Sonia’s large-scale panels for the Pavillon des Chemins de Fer (the Railway Pavilion) were awarded a Gold medal by the exhibition judges, but sadly most of them have not survived. For the Palais de l’Air (the Palace of the Air), she created the three murals in this room, depicting a propeller, an engine and an instrument panel. Machine parts and technical drawing are seamlessly incorporated into complex abstract compositions, with Sonia’s characteristic use of vibrant colour.”

Interestingly, it seems to me she has carefully used most of the correct details of the engine cylinder section (left) other details and the propeller, rather than more freely interpreting them, or just lifting the graphic illustrator’s work as other artists have done. Like it? Comments?

James Kightly, Vintage Aero Writer.

Image from the Tate online catalogue, details: Skissernas Museum, Lund, Sweden, © Pracusa 2014083, Photo: Emma Krantz.