Fine Art

Saint-Séverin No. 2 — History & Facts

Painted in 1909, Saint-Séverin No. 2 by Robert Delaunay is an oil on canvas work that explores the architectural interior of the Gothic church of Saint-Séverin in Paris. This painting belongs to a series in which Delaunay examined the effects of light and color within the context of religious architecture, marking a transitional phase in his career as he moved toward abstraction and Orphism. The composition presents a view down the nave or aisle of the church, with pointed arches and ribbed vaults rendered in a range of blue, green, and cream tones.

The forms are simplified and the brushwork is visible, emphasizing the rhythmic repetition of the arches and the play of light and shadow on the stone surfaces. At the far end, a window with tracery is suggested, its panes filled with luminous blue, further enhancing the sense of depth and the cool atmosphere of the interior. Saint-Séverin No. 2 is part of a documented series of paintings by Delaunay focused on the Saint-Séverin church, produced in the years immediately preceding his full embrace of abstraction.

It belongs to the Minneapolis Institute of Art.

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