Francis Picabia, “Edtaonisl (Ecclesiastic) (Edtaonisl [Ecclésiastique]),” 1913. Oil on canvas, 118 × 118 in. (299.7 × 299.7 cm). The Art Institute of Chicago, Gift of Mr. and Mrs. Armand Bartos, 1953. © 2024 Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York / ADAGP, Paris. Photo: The Art Institute of Chicago / Art Resource, NY
What happens when color and rhythm collide?
Francis Picabia (1879-1953), a trailblazer of modernism, considered the answer in his bold works.
Pulsing with energy and light, Picabia’s work “Edtaonisl (Ecclesiastic)” captured the movement’s fascination with abstraction and rhythm. On view now at @guggenheim as part of “Harmony and Dissonance: Orphism in Paris, 1910–1930,” the piece mesmerizes with its layered interplay of form and meaning.
The exhibition places Picabia’s groundbreaking art alongside works by Sonia and Robert Delaunay, Kupka, and more, revealing how Orphism redefined color, form, and harmony in the early 20th century.