František Kupka - Vertical Plains Blue and Red [1913]

František Kupka (September 23, 1871 - June 24, 1957) was a Czech painter and graphic artist. He was a pioneer and co-founder of the early phases of the abstract art movement and orphic cubism (Orphism). Kupka's abstract works arose from a base of realism, but later evolved into pure abstract art. František Kupka was born in Opočno, eastern Bohemia (now Czech Republic). Kupka had a strong interest in colour theory; around 1910 he began developing his own colour wheels, adapting a format previously explored by Sir Isaac Newton and Hermann von Helmholtz. This work in turn led Kupka to execute a series of paintings he called "Discs of Newton" (1911-12). Kupka was interested in freeing colours from descriptive associations. His work in this area is thought to have influenced other artists like Robert Delaunay.