Disks of Newton (Study for Fugue in Two Colors)

František Kupka's painting, Disks of Newton (Study for Fugue in Two Colors), is a pioneering work in abstract art. Created around 1912, it is considered one of the earliest examples of curvilinear pure abstraction. This style, which Kupka helped develop, was termed Orphism by Guillaume Apollinaire, highlighting its "musical" use of color.12

Kupka was inspired by Sir Isaac Newton's understanding of light and color, as well as the concept of a "Newton's disk" which demonstrates color fusion through rotation. His abstract compositions, like this one, aimed to evoke profound feelings through color alone, akin to how music does. This work contributed significantly to the foundations of purely abstract painting in the 20th century.13