La Guirlande, Album Mensuel d'Art et de literature, 1919-1920 : dansend paar 1919 - 1920

This is a print made by Umberto Brunelleschi, around 1919, part of a monthly album of art and literature, called La Guirlande. It's an illustration of a dancing couple. Look at the way Brunelleschi uses these flattened blocks of color. The man’s suit is just black. The background seems to suggest floral wallpaper, but it's stylized, reduced to essential shapes and lines. The application of the color is so flat that they almost seem like paper cut outs pasted together. I love how he's captured the essence of movement and intimacy with such simple means. There is something reminiscent of Matisse’s cut outs here, that same joyful simplification. It feels almost like a stage set, doesn’t it? Like everything is a little bit artificial and consciously arranged. It’s all about mood. These artists are not trying to reproduce reality but to create a feeling, an impression, of modern life. It makes me think of Sonia Delaunay, who also embraced this idea of total design. It's like Brunelleschi is asking, how can we reimagine our world through art, and dance our way to a more beautiful existence?