Orphism's Parisian Roots Explored at Guggenheim New York

The Guggenheim Museum in New York presents a major exhibition on Orphism, the early 20th-century abstract art movement that emerged in Paris. Open until March 9, 2025, the show features over 90 works in the museum's iconic rotunda, examining Orphism's development and its intersections with dance, music, and poetry. The term "orphic" was first coined by poet Guillaume Apollinaire in his 1913 writings on art, initially applied to Robert Delaunay, Marcel Duchamp, Fernand Léger, and Francis Picabia. These artists explored simultaneity and speed, influenced by modern urban life and technology. Delaunay's depictions of the Eiffel Tower transformed the 1889 structure into a symbol of modernity. The exhibition highlights key works such as Albert Gleizes' "On Brooklyn Bridge" (1917), created after his visits to New York in 1915 and 1917, where he compared the bridge to Notre Dame. Marsden Hartley's "Abstraction" (1914) reflects his exposure to The Blue Rider group and Synchromism, blending influences from Kandinsky, Franz Marc, and Delaunay. Robert Delaunay's "First Disk" (1912) breaks with tradition, featuring concentric bands of saturated color. Other artists include Sonia Delaunay, Mainie Jellett, and František Kupka.