Narcisse Incomparable 1971

Léonor Fini painted "Narcisse Incomparable" with what looks like thin layers of oil, creating a dreamy, almost translucent effect. It’s like she’s building up the image slowly, letting each layer peek through, a bit like how memories work. The way Fini handles the paint is fascinating. It’s so delicate, especially in the water and reflections. You can almost feel the coolness of the water. Look closely at the lily pads; they're softly dabbed, creating a subtle texture that contrasts with the smoother skin of the figures. The color palette, mostly muted blues and soft pinks, adds to this ethereal feel, making the scene both inviting and a bit unsettling. And that reflection, slightly distorted and faded, it’s like a ghost of the real, a reminder of how fleeting and deceptive appearances can be. I can’t help but think of someone like Remedios Varo when I see this, another surrealist who embraced the strange and the mystical. Fini, like Varo, invites us to question what we see, to look beyond the surface.