Les mitres permanentes 1967

Editor: This is “Les mitres permanentes,” or “The Permanent Mitres,” painted by Leonor Fini in 1967. It's an oil painting that features several figures in a row, each wearing these very striking, almost architectural hats. The overall mood is so still, so contemplative… What do you see in this piece? Curator: For me, Fini's work has always resonated as a powerful statement about female identity and societal roles. Those "mitres," they’re not just hats, are they? They're symbols of imposed authority, maybe even oppression. And note how each woman is engaged in her own world—one nude and lost in thought, another reading. Editor: So, you’re suggesting the mitres represent constraints placed on women? The passivity could be a form of resistance? Curator: Precisely. Fini challenges us to consider how women are often forced into prescribed roles. And the passivity, I think, is deceptive. Is it acceptance, or quiet rebellion? The book held by one figure might suggest an escape, knowledge as empowerment. Do you see that potential dichotomy, between external expectation and interior life? Editor: That tension is definitely there. The figures are lined up like they are waiting or resigned, but their gazes and individual activities disrupt that reading. What’s the effect of this almost dreamlike, surreal atmosphere in further expressing the artist’s intent? Curator: Surrealism allows Fini to delve into the subconscious, challenging the accepted patriarchal narrative by presenting alternate realities. The soft palette combined with the stark headpieces emphasizes the inherent feminine power that can't be masked by society’s constraints. In essence, it serves to highlight that dichotomy. What’s left after societal expectation? Editor: I never really thought about surrealism as a place for women to express those ideas directly. Thanks, I see this piece completely differently now. Curator: And that’s what art does: offers us lenses through which to re-evaluate our shared human experience.