Vesper Express, from Les Leçons 1976

Léonor Fini made “Vesper Express” without specifying when; it’s part of a series called “Les Lecons.” The greyish colour palette is quiet, and this helps the figures, pale and interesting, float to the foreground. Fini knew a thing or two about the power of process. Look at the figure on the left – so smooth, almost like marble, but with a touch of warmth in the flush of the red hat. The paint is applied thinly, almost translucent. The bouquet she’s holding bursts with pastel hues, a soft contrast to the otherwise muted tones. These are very particular colour choices, not too flashy, more… subtle. And the way she's standing, almost weightless, in front of that dark void. Fini’s work reminds me a little of Remedios Varo, with a similar interest in depicting surreal worlds. But where Varo is intricate, Fini is more… raw. There’s an ambiguity here that I find so compelling – a willingness to embrace the unknown. It’s an ongoing conversation, this art thing, isn’t it? Always questions, never answers.