Leonora Carrington, Self-Portrait with Rocking Horse
Speaker: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank
Looking Closely at Carrington’s 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. It also discusses Carrington's choices to create this dreamlike, fantastic painting.
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.
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: Dr. Lauren Kilroy-Ewbank.
Who was Leonora Carrington?
Born in England, Carrington lived most of her life in Mexico. She was associated with the art movement called Surrealism. She loved animals and found an affinity with them.
Take the first step to get to know this amazing woman artist and her painting by watching the video.
Video chapters
0:00 Introduction and close looking at Leonora Carrington’s Self-Portrait from c. 1937
0:25 Why ARTSQ thinks close looking at art is an important skill in today’s world
1:05 Dive into looking closely at Carrington’s dream-like painting
1:28 The vocabulary of art history: Composition
1:51 The vocabulary of art history: Foreground (with a hyena!)
3:25 The vocabulary of art history: Middle Ground (with a weird blur and a rocking horse!)
4:46 The vocabulary of art history: Background (more horses!)
5:09 Color in Carrington’s painting
5:50 Wrapping up & lingering questions about Carrington’s interest in animals
Learn more
Find more resources about formal analysis and close looking.
Discover more women artists.
Learn more about art in the modern era.
Take our course about developing the skill of close looking.
