Leonor Fini 1936

If you saw yesterday’s art feature, you might be familiar with the name Dora Maar (1907-1997). The French photographer and painter is best known as a muse of Picasso, yet this reputation ignores her own brilliant contributions to the surrealist movement. Maar staged this photograph in 1936. What do you first notice about the work? Here, Maar depicts her close friend and collaborator, the artist Leonor Fini (1907-1996). Fini was an Argentine-Italian painter and designer who specialised in strange and absurd imagery. Here, Leonora Fini lies on her back on a wooden floor. She wears a striped long-sleeve blouse and silk skirt. Surrounding her, we see scattered clothes made from tattered scraps of fabric. The dark colour of these textiles is emphasised by the photograph’s monochrome colour palette. Don’t you think the colour and shape is almost reminiscent of blood? The strewn clothes seem to seep from Fini’s body as if they are staining the floorboards. This creates an unsettling and enigmatic atmosphere. What could Maar be suggesting? Is there a hidden narrative here? 🩸 The entire work displays a dramatic sense of stillness. Fini lies completely motionless, with her head turned towards the camera. She gazes upward, out of the frame. She does not meet our gaze. This photograph is the consequence of a collaboration between two fascinating women who were both central to the surrealist movement. It gives us an insight into the rich artistic exchanges which characterised surrealism. Can you think of any other examples of artists working together to progress a cultural movement?