Donna del Lago c. 1953

Léonor Fini's enigmatic "Donna del Lago" presents us with a bust of a pale woman emerging from dark waters, surrounded by skulls. This motif of the 'Lady of the Lake' evokes ancient archetypes, linking back to Celtic mythologies and the Arthurian legends where a powerful female figure dwells in a liminal space, a potent symbol of mystery and fate. The skulls become vanitas symbols, reminding us of mortality but also the cyclical nature of life and death. Consider how this image echoes through time. From the water nymphs of classical antiquity, figures of seductive danger, to Ophelia floating lifeless in Shakespeare's tragedy, water and femininity have long been entwined with themes of beauty, death, and the subconscious. Here, in Fini's surreal vision, the Lady of the Lake is a haunting embodiment of these intertwined concepts. It speaks to our deepest fears and desires, resonating with a primordial understanding of the life-giving and life-taking power of water.