This story is neither about the Voisin nor the model in front of it. It’s about the many colours. Both clothing and matching car body were designed by Sonia Delaunay. She was a versatile artist who, with her husband Robert Delaunay, made paintings that are nowadays much appreciated for their originality and choice of colours. Sonia also began to use her ideas for paintings as designs for stage-scenery, evening dresses, carpets and interior-decorating. Many influential people wore cloths made by Sonia and in 1925 she designed dresses with matching body-colour for the car. She did the same again in 1928 by making the upholstery of her Talbot in the same material and geometric motifs as her designs for clothing. Even after the death of Robert in 1941, cars continued to play a role in Sonia’s work.

The image of the Voisin is a drawing by Georges Lepape, courtesy National Library of The Netherlands, in loan from Gemeentemuseum The Hague.












November 21, 2008