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LEONORA CARRINGTON (1917-2011)

ARTIST BIO INQUIRENEWS
 
“Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression.
“Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression. “Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington <br> <br>Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery. <br> <br>Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression.
Bayanc. 1980s13 x 21 in.(33.02 x 53.34 cm) pencil on paper
Provenance
Brewster Gallery, New York
Peter Juvelis
Private Collection, Texas

65,000

“Painting is a need, not a choice.” – Leonora Carrington

Leonora Carrington was a key figure of Surrealism, the art movement that used the human subconscious to create dreamlike and fantastical scenes. Carrington was born in the England in 1917. Rebellious and artistic as a child, she eventually met Max Ernst, one of the leaders of Surrealism, with whom she would move to Paris. The outbreak of WWII interrupted their relationship as Ernst fled to the U.S. while Carrington escaped the Nazis to Madrid where she was institutionalized. She fled again with her new husband, a Mexican diplomat, to New York where they divorced, and she moved a final time to Mexico City. It was in Mexico City that she flourished with her Surrealist paintings, making friends with fellow artists including Remedios Varo, and where she would find fame, exhibiting in prestigious shows at the Museum of Modern Art and Peggy Guggenheim’s Art of This Century Gallery.

Carrington’s paintings are populated by strange humans and fantastical animals pulling from myths, mysticism, and her own imagination. Running through her works are ideas of transformation and a divine feminine quality. This work features a figure setting down an unusual prayer rug. The title is reference to an Arabic and Persian word meaning “statement” or “exposition” and could also be a reference to the work of Báb, a central figure of the Baha’I faith. The word points to a clarity of eloquence, much as Carrington strived for that same eloquence and clarity of expression.
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