Existing comment:
Abstract, Op. 91 (The Firebird)
1934
metal, glass, gel filters, electrical and lighting elements, and frosted-glass screen in wood cabinet
The Firebird is the only static work among the small-scale lumia. It features a shadowed form that suggests a bird, its triangular beak silhouetted against a spotlighted area of ultramarine blue. Arching diagonally downward from the beak, a gentle contour delineates the bird's body and feathers, which radiate vibrant red, orange, and yellow light. The palette echoes the color scheme of the original costume for the title character in Russian composer Igor Stravinsky's ballet. Wilfred might have seen The Firebird, which debuted in Paris in 1910, when he was studying art at the Sorbonne. |