The art of Leonor Fini, 1907–1996
May 4, 2008
Painter, illustrator and novelist Leonor Fini has been mentioned here before in a post about women Surrealist artists but her wonderful paintings deserve renewed attention. There’s an official site and galleries here (follow the links at the bottom of the page) and here but her work is so profuse and varied there could easily stand to be more.
Elsewhere on { feuilleton }
• The fantastic art archive
Previously on { feuilleton }
• The art of Michel Henricot
• Surrealist women
12 comments or trackbacks
#1 posted by Nathalie
May 5th, 2008
I think she’s probably my favourite 20th century French artist.
I grew up amongst her drawings and one of the very first paintings I got as an adult was one of hers (not a painting actually- I am not that rich – but a lithography).
#2 posted by pe-jota
May 5th, 2008
A great Argentinian artist, I have a post prepared about her for the next week.
#3 posted by John
May 5th, 2008
Lucky you having an original print, Nathalie!
I used to know her work mainly from books on the Surrealists. That’s a shame because it tends to make her seem a minor artist. I saw a couple of her oil paintings at a Brighton exhibition dedicated to Edward James‘s life and art collection in 1998. Would be nice to have a decent monograph.
#4 posted by Nathalie
May 6th, 2008
There are some around (although maybe not recent). My parents had an excellent one in 2 volumes (but it must have been printed in the sixties or the beginning of the seventies at the latest.
Probably an item for second hand book stores.
#5 posted by jane
Nov 24th, 2009
please please please can someone tell me what the name of the painting above is ?
#6 posted by John
Nov 25th, 2009
Hi Jane. If I knew the title I’d have included it, as I do with all pictures posted here. Unfortunately the site from which it originates makes a big effort to prevent you copying their pictures (despite having no rights in the works displayed) but doesn’t take the trouble to credit any of the paintings they post. I’d suggest you ask the Ten Dreams site where they copied it from originally.
#7 posted by Kristen
Dec 13th, 2010
I know this is a rather old post, but the title of the painting is “The Ideal Life”.
#8 posted by Neil
Jan 27th, 2012
In fact, the title is “Une Vie Ideale” – which translates to An Ideal Life.
#9 posted by Shirley
Mar 22nd, 2012
Has anyone seen a painting of Leonor Finin’s called Melita? I know her best friend’s name was Melita.
#10 posted by John
Mar 22nd, 2012
Hi Shirley. This appears to be the one:
http://www.leonor-fini.com/uploads/tx_minskyproducts/Melita_1988_HST_46x61cm.jpg
#11 posted by Neil
Mar 22nd, 2012
The title of the painting is “Une Vie Ideale” (An Ideal Life). It was first exhibited in 1951 at the Galleria dell’Ala Napaleonica, Venezia 9/2 thr 9/15. It is currently in Peru.
#12 posted by Neil
Mar 23rd, 2012
I am posting an image of another painting titled “Melita” on the Leonor Fini Facebook page. Also, there is an additional painting of this same figure from the back.