Access a slow-looking exercise of this work.
Transcript
Narrator: This work from 1913 by Sonia Delaunay is titled "Bal Bullier." It’s made of oil paint on mattress ticking. It is large and horizontally oriented, just over 3 feet tall and over 12 feet long. The surface is covered in colorful geometric, biomorphic, and curving shapes that seem to evoke specific forms but are somewhat unidentifiable at first glance. Closer looking, however, reveals figurative elements amid the dynamic shapes—particularly, the presence of dancing figures.
The painting’s title, "Bal Bullier," confirms this. It refers to a dance hall in Paris that hosted “Tango Thursdays.” Delaunay’s long, immersive painting simulates a panoramic view of the vibrant venue, inviting us to meander through it as if weaving through the dance hall ourselves.
In the upper-left corner, a twist of dark green hues billow from a thinner brown-and-gold patch, curving towards the center like a curtain pulled aside to reveal an unfolding scene. Across the painting a cluster of geometric and biomorphic shapes create different figures and elements in the dance hall. They are painted in contrasting hues of orange, sky blue, bright crimson, deep magenta, violet, and pale pink. Delaunay creates a sense of space and depth through the placement of color. Brighter and warmer colors, such as oranges, reds, and yellows, move forward. Meanwhile cool colors, like blues, greens, and purples, push backward.
On the left, a dancing couple interlocks in a single curved S shape. One figure wears a black coat and dark green pants with a maroon waistline. The other wears a dress of pale greens, yellows, and ivory, as well as a bright red hat. The couples’ heads are painted in shades of green, pink, and blue, but their facial features remain indistinguishable. The green and pink of their faces meet, as if the dancers were pressed cheek to cheek as they move together. The black-sleeved dancer appears to reach around other’s waist, and the curves convey the sway and momentum of their bodies. As one dancer leans back in an arching dip, the other bends toward their partner’s pull.
Above and to the right, vertical lines and blocks of color partition this unfolding scene as we encounter other figures toward the center of the work. A third figure stands facing us in a tall silhouette of dark maroon and blues, hooded by a large pink hat. Next, another couple dances closely with legs entwined. One partner wears cool shades of purple and green while the other wears reds, oranges, yellows, and pinks.
At the center of the painting, a group of dancers twist and merge. The artist conveys their movement through abstract painted forms. The roundness of their hats is echoed in the electric light bulbs above them, which seem to radiate circular light. Among the group, a figure wearing a red dress and violet beret appears to lead the dance, their right leg extending between the legs of their green-suited, yellow-capped partner.
Adapted from Nell Andrew’s essay “Orphism and Dance: Beneath, Beside, and Beyond the Visible”, this scene of unfolding, simultaneous movements of interlocked figures evokes the feeling of musical syncopation and the kinesthetic experience of the tango, a dynamic dance that had been newly introduced to Paris from Argentina and Uruguay.
