Vue aérienne de la Tour (Aerial View of the Eiffel Tower), from Allo! Paris

Inscriptions

Reverse, inscribed, in graphite, lower left: Delauney "Tower"; reverse, stamped, in purple ink, lower right: MADE IN FRANCE

Label

Robert Delaunay takes an iconic Parisian monument, the Eiffel Tower, and abstracts it through a view from above. By applying a Futurist-like lens to this familiar image, Delaunay evokes the simultaneity that manifests throughout urban life. For example, notice how the overall image of the Eiffel Tower is framed by segmented circles and grid-like edges, all converging around the monument in intersecting planes. Analogously, many things are happening, originating from every side yet converging all at once in the flurry that is the modern city. Completed in 1889 just ahead of the World’s Fair, Gustave Eiffel’s iron tower was the talk of the town, an incredible feat of industrial prowess. Here, the Eiffel Tower is a symbol of overlapping flux, materiality, and stability—the unique, elusive essence of the modern age.

From the 2025 exhibition A Space for Dialogue 125, Chasing Modernity: Fleeting Moments and Elusive Urbanity, curated by Ellie Brown ’25, Conroy Intern

Provenance

Ferdinand Roten Gallery, Baltimore, Maryland; sold to present collection, 1959.

Catalogue Raisonne

Adhémar (1952), IFF, Vol.6: 3; Loyer & Perussaux (1974): Allo!Paris 8

This record is part of an active database that includes information from historic documentation that may not have been recently reviewed. Information may be inaccurate or incomplete. We also acknowledge some language and imagery may be offensive, violent, or discriminatory. These records reflect the institution’s history or the views of artists or scholars, past and present. Our collections research is ongoing.

We welcome questions, feedback, and suggestions for improvement. Please contact us at: Hood.Collections@dartmouth.edu

Subjects