L’Hiver en écoutant 

Léonor Fini’s painting presents a lantern presiding over two figures engrossed in a book. The lantern, a symbol of guidance and illumination, echoes motifs found in diverse traditions—from ancient Roman lamps to the celestial lanterns of Eastern lore. Note the lantern’s resemblance to a protective eye, an ancient apotropaic symbol. The eye motif appears as early as ancient Egypt and resurfaces throughout history, intended to ward off malevolent spirits and negative energies. Here, it is more a source of warmth and light. The light emanates from the spheres in the lantern, as it protects the act of reading, suggesting it is sacred. The themes of protection and illumination are not linear, rather, they are deeply rooted in our shared cultural memory. Fini, in her surrealist composition, taps into a subconscious yearning for knowledge and sanctuary, a yearning as old as time itself.