Leonor Fini
La Grande Parade des Chats (The Great Parade of the Cats)
c. 1973

Name: La Grande Parade des Chats (The Great Parade of the Cats)
Brand: Leonor Fini
Price: 800 USD
Availability: InStock

About the Item

Artist: Leonor Fini Title: La Grande Parade des Chats (The Great Parade of the Cats) Year: 1973 Medium: Color lithograph Edition: Numbered 148/230 in pencil Paper: Wove paper Image size including border: 12.60 x 9.25 inches Sheet size: 12.69 x 9.25 inches Signature: Hand signed in pencil by the artist Condition: Excellent Frame: Custom framed in a wooden gold frame, with light creme matting and gold color spacer About the artist: Leonor Fini was born in 1907 in Buenos Aires, Argentina of mixed Italian and Slavic descent. She had no formal training in art but like most children, she drew and painted. As a teenager she adorned her efforts with things like crushed eggshell, beads, etc. By the time she was seventeen she was making portraits in oils of well-known people in Triest, which led to an invitation to move to Milan and paint the whole family of a government official. In 1933 she moved to Paris and her work revealed a gift of fantasy that was close to Surrealism. She also created paintings, posters and sets for the Paris Opera and costumes for the Comedie Francaise. In addition to her work for the Parisian stage, she designed sets and costumes for La Scala opera house. She illustrated several books. Outspoken and independent, she became part of the surrealist movement along with artists Andre Breton and Max Ernst. She later became known for her images of mysterious exotic young women often portrayed as witches or fairies. Striking in person as well as in her work, Fini appeared in public in heavy makeup and wearing unusual clothes with wide-brimmed hats and a great deal of jewelry. She died in Paris in 1996. The work of Leonor Fini is held in the Galleria Nazionale d’ Arte Moderna, Rome; Musee des Beaux Arts, Grenoble; Musee Royaux des Beaux Arts, Brussels; Museum of Fine Art, Lodz; Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice; and the Centre Georges Pompidou, Paris.

Creator:

Leonor Fini (1908 - 1996, French)

Creation Year:

c. 1973

Dimensions:

Height: 20.5 in (52.07 cm)Width: 17 in (43.18 cm)Depth: 0.9 in (2.29 cm)

Medium:

Lithograph

Movement & Style:

Surrealist

Period:

1970-1979

Condition:

Gallery Location:

San Francisco, CA

Reference Number:

Seller: fin/par/cat/021stDibs: LU66636457462

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Leonor Fini

Leonor Fini was the life of the party during the French Surrealist movement. A socialite with connections to some of the movement's biggest names, Fini was also an astoundingly gifted artist in her own right. In fact, many consider her to be the most fiercely independent female artist of the 20th century. A theatrical personality, Fini created prints, paintings and drawings that are widely revered for their sensuous qualities and raw energy.

Fini's life started off in a dramatic fashion, which was perhaps a portent of things to come. She was born in Buenos Aires, Argentina in 1907, but her parents separated soon after and her mother took her away to Trieste, Italy. Due to her father's attempts to kidnap her, Fini was often dressed as a boy throughout her childhood.

Fini was surrounded by artistic women in Trieste, and she naturally developed a love for art as well. By the time she was 17, she had become familiar with Renaissance art and Mannerist painting and was exhibiting her own portraits. In 1931, at just 24 years of age, Fini moved to Paris and became acquainted with influential artists Giorgio de Chirico and Carlos Carrà. She also met and started a romantic relationship with Surrealist pioneer Max Ernst, who introduced her to others in the movement.

Though she had no formal art education, Fini proved herself to be both technically masterful and creatively exceptional. Her work and her flamboyant personality attracted the attention of many of the 20th century's most celebrated artists and thinkers, including Salvador Dalí, Jean Cocteau, Albert Camus and Jean Genet, just to name a very few. She exhibited her work in many Parisian art galleries, including the gallery of Christian Dior before the fashion icon became a designer.

In the 1950s, Fini continued painting while immersing herself in other artistic and dramatic endeavors, including theater costume and mask design. She also designed posters for the Paris Opera and wardrobes for movies.

Fini continued living and painting in Paris for the rest of her life. She died in 1996.

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