Yellow Nude

This yellow figure, lying naked on a carpet, fills in all the painted space. It puts the painting at the crossroads between the erotic subject of the prostitute wearing black stockings and the classical pose of studio models. The colors outweigh the shape. The warm yellow confronted by the blue-green cold shadows is enhanced by the black flats of the stockings and hair. The figure stands out from the background thanks to a double black and red ring. This schematic outline partitions the colors and removes all sensuality from the body. The face with the enhanced features becomes a mask.

In 1908, Sonia Terk is at the dawn of her career. Arriving in Paris two years prior, the young Russian was impressed by the fauvism of Henri Matisse, the primitivism of Paul Gauguin, and German Expressionism. In 1910, she married the painter Robert Delaunay and directed her work towards abstraction without ever departing from the expressive power of color.

We can present this piece to you thanks to Musée d'Arts de Nantes and our friend Hervé who translated the text from French. Thank you! <3

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