Baterbys Art Auction Gallery - Bios

Leonor Fini

(1908-1996) Leonor Fini was an Argentine surrealist painter born in Buenos Aires. After spending time in Milano to paint family portraits and exhibit her work, she moved to Paris in the early 1930s. There, she became acquainted with Max Ernst, Henri Cartier-Bresson, Picasso, André Pieyre de Mandiargues, and Salvador Dalí. She painted portraits of many celebrities and wealthy visitors to Paris. She designed costumes and decorations for theater, ballet and opera. In the 1970s she wrote three novels, Rogomelec, Moumour, Contes Pour Enfants Velu and Oneiropompe. She illustrated many works by the great authors and poets, including Edgar Allan Poe, Charles Baudelaire and Shakespeare, as well as texts by new writers. She was very generous with her illustrations and donated many drawings to writers to help them get published. She is best known for her graphic illustrations for Histoire d’O. She is perhaps one of the only artists to paint women without apology. Many of her paintings feature strong, beautiful women (many times resembling herself) in ceremonial or provocative situations. Men are often portrayed as lithe figures who are under the protection of her females. She was equally adept at etching, drawing, watercolor and oil painting.

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