Close Looking at surrealist artist Leonora Carrington's Self-Portrait with Rocking Horse
Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
A surrealist self-portrait
Is that a hyena, a rocking horse, and monster claws? If we look closely at Leonora Carrington's painting, we notice curious and surreal details. This video practices the skill of close looking. We also think about Carrington's choices to create this dreamlike, fantastic painting. We at ARTSQ think close looking is really important!
Leonora Carrington, Self-Portrait, c. 1937–38, oil on canvas, 25 9/16 × 32 in. (65 × 81.3 cm). The Metropolitan Museum of Art.Photo: © Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Leonora Carrington
Who was Leonora Carrington? Born in England, Carrington lived most of her life in Mexico. She was associated with the art movement called Surrealism. Plus, she loved animals and found an affinity with them. In art history, close looking is the first step in doing something called a formal analysis. This is an analysis of things like the elements of art and the principles of design. If you’ve ever wondered how to do a formal analysis, our close-looking series offers an excellent first step!
Take the first step to get to know this amazing woman artist and painting by watching the video.
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