La Flèche de Notre-Dame

1906–1907

A friendship with Jean Metzinger

Delaunay formed a close friendship with Jean Metzinger: in 1906–07 the two often painted together and made portraits of each other in prominent rectangles of pigment.

early 1907

A joint exhibition with Metzinger at Berthe Weill’s gallery

Early in 1907 Delaunay and Metzinger shared an exhibition at a gallery run by Berthe Weill.

1907

Vauxcelles singles out Delaunay and Metzinger as Divisionists

In 1907 the critic Louis Vauxcelles singled out Metzinger and Delaunay as Divisionists who used large, mosaic-like “cubes” to construct small but highly symbolic compositions.

1908

Meets Sonia Terk

In 1908, after a term in the military working as a regimental librarian, Delaunay met the artist Sonia Terk; at the time she was married to a German art dealer whom she would soon divorce.

1910

Marries Sonia Terk; the founding of Orphism

In 1910 Delaunay married Sonia Terk; together with a few others they founded the Orphism art movement, and the couple settled in a studio apartment in Paris.

1911

Joins the “Blue Rider” at Kandinsky’s invitation

In 1911, at the invitation of Wassily Kandinsky, Delaunay joined the Munich-based Blue Rider (Der Blaue Reiter) group, took part in its first exhibition and sold four works; he was also successful in Germany, Switzerland and Russia.