Labours of love: when couples make art

By Florence Hallett

“We were two moving forces. One made one thing and one made the other” said the artist Sonia Delaunay of her relationship with her husband, Robert Delaunay. Together, in the second decade of the 20th century, they had founded Orphism, an influential art movement known for its vivid colours and geometric shapes. But while Robert’s name has endured, Sonia’s has faded, her preoccupation with textiles and fashion limiting her work to “craft”, while Robert’s paintings were deemed worthy of the label “art”. It’s only when you see their work together (left and right) that you understand just how much they influenced each other.