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Fantastic Women Surrealist Artists: Forgotten Legends of the Movement
- Sutithi
- Oct 17
- 6 min read
The twentieth century has explored the subconscious through phenomenal works like The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dali, or Philosopher’s Lamp by René Magritte. The Surrealism art movement started as a cultural art aesthetic in the 1920s by the French writer and poet André Breton, with his manifesto of super-reality – linking dream and reality in expressions.
It was deeply influenced by Dadaism idols like Marcel Duchamp. Though surrealist art is immortalized through creations of some of the world-renowned male artists like Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, and Max Ernst, there were eminent female personalities associated with this radical movement through their personal relationships with these surrealist geniuses.
In most of the surrealist masterpieces, women were seen as objects of dream, desire, fear, and fantasies, often portrayed as a source of erotic satisfaction, disgust, and as mysterious inspiration. They were the unsung voices of the super-realistic creations. It is fascinating to know how artists like Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, or Dorothea Tanning crafted their own narratives in the male-dominated art world!
Be it Leonora Carrington’s surrealism or Man Ray’s muse Meret Oppenheim’s symbolic creations or Kay Sage’s desolate landscapes, women impacted the movement profoundly through their complex art like never before.
Initially, women were not members of the group; their presence was felt after they came in close proximity with some of male personalities of the movement.
Let’s look into those fantastic stories of famous surrealist artists, while answering some of the most common questions relating to this super-realist movement. Follow us here.
Who Were These Women in the Surrealism Art Movement?
Women in the surrealism movement were more than just muses. Think of surreal self-portraits of the Latin American art icon Frida Kahlo, or radical women surrealist artists like Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Dorothea Tanning, Kay Sage, Claude Cahun or photographer Lee Miller – they tapped the unconscious desires and dreamscapes through fantasy, symbolism, and feminist critique. Kahlo was regarded as a natural surrealist by André Breton.
When male artists portrayed females as dreamy symbols of desire or disgust, women reclaimed their identities, working on themes of sexuality, feminist ideals, freedom, and transformation.
Why Were Women the Forgotten Voices of Surrealism?
The early twentieth century had cultural biases towards women artists and that’s why most of them lived in the shadow of their male partners – like, Leonora Carrington and Dorothea Tanning were related to Max Ernst, or Remedios Varo worked with Benjamin Péret. As history is written from a male perspective, these women creators were marginalized though their works came to be celebrated later alongside famous surrealist artists like Dali or René Magritte.
In recent times, modern surrealist artists have revived pathbreaking works of these iconic twentieth century women, exposing them to the contemporary gaze for critique and the recognition they deserve.
Leonora Carrington Surrealism
The name of Leonora Carrington comes as a compelling figure who challenged societal expectations regarding representation of women. Her works showed defiance and independence, a spirit she acquired from her stay in England. After she moved to Mexico, she was connected to a vibrant artistic community to pursue her dreamscapes.
What was so unique in her themes and portrayals? Surrealist men depicted women as formless, fantasized figures, while Leonora Carrington paintings stood out from the clutter with her dreamy narratives filled with symbols, mythical and hybrid creatures. She rejected the male-dominated notion of ‘muse,’ rather she wanted women to be ‘myth-makers.’
Spanning almost seven decades, Leonora’s career comprises several paintings and sculptures that deal with themes like transformation and empowerment, such as ‘Bird Bath,’ ‘The Inn of the Dawn Horse,’ or ‘The Giantess.’ While other male artists of her time reduced women to just objects of fantasy, she put them in the center of her mystical journeys.
Leonora Carrington exhibited her works at the ‘International Exhibition of Surrealism’ in 1938, France, with her then partner and fellow artist Max Ernst. She was an enlightened voice, publishing stories on feminism and magical realism. All of them unveil many unspoken chapters of her subconscious world.
How did Leonora Carrington Feminize Surrealism?
Leonora Carrington surrealism dealt with psychological power and feminist themes, challenging women’s role as objects. She wished women to be more assertive rather than remaining passive figures to their male counterparts.
Where are Leonora Carrington Paintings?
One can explore Leonora Carrington paintings in some world-renowned museums like The Met in New York; The Tate, London; National Museum of Women in the Arts, Washington, D.C.; San Francisco Museum of Modern Art; Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice.
Famous Surrealist Artists: Sharing Personal Tales
Remedios Varo – Born as Spanish, Remedios fled to Mexico during the turmoil of the second world war. Varo was known for her witty surrealism, blending science, mysticism, and the subconscious. After she met the surrealist painter Leonora Carrington, she transformed her intellectual and spiritual curiosity to fantastical images.
Dorothea Tanning – Dorothy was greatly inspired by the Dada ideals. Her haunting and seductive imagery explore themes of childhood, emotionally and sexually charged young women, and the subconscious. She eventually married her mentor, Max Ernst. Her later works show shadows of abstract expressionism.
Kay Sage – This American painter was recognized for her evocative surrealist style of architectural and desolate dreamscapes. She extensively worked on themes like isolation, stark landscapes, and existential reflection.
Claude Cahun – Claude was a talented French photographer and writer known for her photographic self-portraits. Her portraits often raised some enduring debates on stereotypes as she challenged gender norms and identity, dressed as a doll, wearing different masks to override identities.
How Did Women Change the Direction of Surrealism?
When surrealist men preferred to work on worldly fantasies and external dreams, women journeyed within – they turned towards their own narratives, exploring inner psychological worlds. They chose to work on identities, transformation, and empowerment, often overlooked in a male surrealist domain. And thus, these iconic women formed new artistic dialogues with complex and contradictory portrayals, which were deeply personal, often blurring into abstraction.
The Living Legacy of Modern Surrealist Artists
Some of these forgotten voices were given the attention they deserve in the 2022 Venice Biennale under Cecilia Alemani’s curation. Their bold narratives inspire modern surrealist artists like Marguerite Humeau, Hannah Höch, and their contemporaries to finally pay a fitting tribute to the famous surrealist artists of the 20th century.
For the contemporary surrealists, it’s time to embrace the call for freedom through any creative form – literature, photography, painting, film, performance, and installation art and live the legacy of those forgotten angels of surrealism.
A Quick Recap: Surrealism at a Glance
What is the Surrealism Art Movement?
Surrealism art movement was a cultural movement of the 1920s that tried to explore human experience by tapping the subconscious power hidden in dreams. Artists portrayed unconventional and uncanny themes to study myths, magic, and fantasies.
What was a key objective of Surrealist Artists?
The surrealist artists wanted to explore the subconscious mind—to go beyond rationality and break away from stereotypical and conventional thoughts.
What are some Famous Surrealist Artists?
Some of the famous surrealist artists were André Breton, Salvador Dalí, René Magritte, Max Ernst, Pablo Picasso. Prominent women artists were Leonora Carrington, Remedios Varo, Dorothea Tanning, Frida Kahlo, Kay Sage, Claude Cahun, Meret Oppenheim, Lee Miller, to name a few.
What is Modern Surrealism?
Modern surrealism is an extension of the artistic legacy of 20th century dadaism. Modern surrealist artists connect the world of unconscious and current socio-political struggles through their art. They redefine gender roles and work on dream logic and intuition.
Surrealism Art Movement: Remembering the Forgotten Angels
To understand surrealism, one must embrace the feminist perspective, how they defied conventions, drawing on imaginations. Radical works like Leonora Carrington surrealism, dream sequences of Remedios Varo, or haunting images of Dorothea Tanning show that art has the guts to tell the bold truths shunned by society.
The groundbreaking works of some famous surrealist artists are revisited in recent times to honor the legacy of super-realism and personal experience. Anyone passionate about the Surrealism art movement must explore the iconic paintings, sculpture, self-portraits, and photography of these powerful women artists who combined myths, symbols, dreams to tell fascinating stories of their time.
