Homage to Blériot, painted by Robert Delaunay in 1914, is a tempera on canvas artwork measuring 250 x 250 cm. Delaunay was one of the co-founders of Orphism art movement and is known for his use of strong colors and geometric shapes. The painting depicts the energy and speed of life in a big city with overlapping and fragmented forms.
One of the most striking aspects of Homage to Blériot is its use of circles that become assimilated to aircraft propellers, engines, and spoked wire wheels. This technique highlights Delaunay’s interest in the perception of color research by chemist Eugene Chevreul. He explored how colors appear dissimilar when seen together in varying combinations. Furthermore, this artwork exhibits influence from Neo-Impressionism, Divisionism, Edgar Degas, Édouard Manet for their unusual perspective.
Delaunay’s later works were more abstract and reminiscent of artists like Paul Klee; however, Homage to Blériot remains an essential piece that demonstrates his affinity towards bold hues as expressions for rhythms found within nature’s movements or changes over time. Overall Homage to Bleriot can be read as typical representative artwork from European modernism era highlighting innovation with representation through visual media redefining Art for contemporaries ad future generations alike.
