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.
On 1stDibs, find original Leonor Fini prints, paintings and drawings.
Le Concile d'Amour - Gouache on Paper Unique Surrealist Woman Painter, 1968
By Leonor Fini
Located in New York, NY
Leonor Fini Le Concile d'amour, 1968 Gouache on paper 14 1/5 × 11 4/5 in l 36 × 30 cm Frame included - 22 x 18 1/8 in l 56 x 46 cm Signed, counter-signed and titled lower right Cond...
Gouache
$1,920
10a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches paper Exemplaire B/165
Archival Paper, Lithograph
$1,920
10b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165
Lithograph, Washi Paper
$1,920
1a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, in the...
Lithograph, Archival Paper
$1,920
3b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, i...
Archival Paper, Lithograph
$1,920
12b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, i...
Lithograph, Washi Paper
$1,920
4a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches paper Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, ...
Archival Paper, Lithograph
$1,920
9b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, i...
Lithograph, Washi Paper
$1,920
3a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, in the...
Lithograph, Archival Paper
$1,920
4b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165
Lithograph, Washi Paper
$1,920
1b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Exemplaire B/165 Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, i...
Lithograph, Washi Paper
La Conversation
By Leonor Fini
Located in London, GB
LEONOR FINI 1908-1996 Buenos Aires 1908-1996 Paris Title: La Conversation Technique: Original Signed Gouache and Ink Painting on heavy gray paper size: 48 x 35 cm / 18.9 x 13.8 in Additional Information: This beautiful Gouache and Ink Painting is hand signed in the lower right part "Léonor Fini". Provenance: Photo Certificate by Richard Overstreet...
Gouache
$985Sale Price|20% Off
H 12.25 in W 9 in
Fine 18th Century French Old Master Ink Wash Drawing Cain & Abel Fighting
Located in Cirencester, Gloucestershire
'Cain et Abel' Circle of Franois Devosge (1732-1811) French pencil drawing with watercolour wash on paper size: 12.25 x 9 inches private collection, France The painting is in overall...
Washi Paper, Color Pencil
$880Sale Price|48% Off
H 10.5 in W 5 in
Fire, mixed media portrait of nude woman
By Deirdre O'Connell
Located in New York, NY
“I thought the world was turned upside down when I started this body of work right after the 2016 presidential election. Little did I know. I had gone to the Woman's March in Washing...
Fabric, Paper, Acrylic, Pencil, Laser, Gouache
$850
H 6.5 in W 5.25 in
Simka Simkhovitch WPA Artist Painting Gouache American Modernist Beach Scene
By Simka Simkhovitch
Located in Surfside, FL
Simka Simkhovitch (Russian/American 1893 - 1949) This came with a small grouping from the artist's family, some were hand signed some were not. These were studies for larger paintin...
Gouache, Board
$309
H 19 in W 16 in D 1 in
Lady, Wash on Paper, Green, Blue by Indian Contemporary Artist "In Stock"
By Mintu Naiya
Located in Kolkata, West Bengal
Mintu Naiya - Lady - 11 x 8 inches ( unframed size ) Wash on Paper ** Shipped in roll form. About the Artist & his Art work : Born : November, 1976. Education : Graduate from Calc...
Paper, Washi Paper
$7,000
H 10 in W 8 in
Standing Nude Man, Mid-Century Figural Expressionist Painting, New York Artist
By Joseph Glasco
Located in Beachwood, OH
Joseph Glasco (American, 1925-1996) Standing Man, 1955 India ink and gouache on textured paper Signed, dated and titled verso 10 x 8 inches 16.75 x 13.5 inches, framed Joseph Glasco...
India Ink, Gouache
$429Sale Price|20% Off
H 6.7 in W 12.17 in D 0.04 in
Authentic Japanese Woodblock Prints Triptych Kyoto Maikoes by Hasegawa Sadanobu
Located in London, GB
GSY curated this unique set of three authentic Shin-hanga Woodblock Prints by the workshop of Hasegawa Sadanobu III, the Uchida Publishing House, a well-known Kyoto publisher; they h...
Ink, Washi Paper
$475
H 17.5 in W 11 in
Sitting with Green, 1960s Gouache on Paper, Figurative, 11"x17.5"
By Gloria Dudfield
Located in Arp, TX
Gloria Dudfield Sitting with Green 1960's Gouach on paper 11"x17.5" unframed. Gloria (Fischer) Dudfield July 12, 1922 – May 27, 2015 Came from a portfolio of her work in the San Fr...
Paper, Gouache
$3,135
H 43.5 in W 43.5 in
"Soulcollector" By Mariska Karto, Original Surrealist Photography
By Mariska Karto
Located in Denver, CO
"Soulcollector" is a striking gothic surrealist painting by acclaimed realist painter Mariska Karto, created with oil paint, photo paper, and an aluminum plate. Mariska was born i...
Metal
$850
H 22.5 in W 30 in
2 Sided Expressionist Detroit Modernist Painting Female Nude, Night Cruise Ship
Located in Surfside, FL
This is a two sided painting. Nude reclining woman and a ship lit at night. Harold Cohn (1908 - 1982) Harold Cohn was active/lived in New Jersey, Michigan. Harold Cohn is known fo...
Watercolor, Gouache
$12,389
H 48.04 in W 59.85 in
Surrealist Large Painting Royal College of Art LGBTQ+ Female Blue Green Water
By Isabel Rock
Located in Norfolk, GB
Isabel Rock is a creator of contemporary fairy tales. A graduate of the Royal College of Art in London, her work is an explosion of strange occurrences while a surreal narrative takes the audience on a journey into the imagination. In October 2023 Isabel won the Evelyn Williams Drawing Award at the Trinity Buoy Wharf Drawing Prize. Known as the UK’s most prestigious annual open exhibition for drawing; part of the prize is a solo show at Hastings Contemporary, scheduled for 2024. Whilst Isabel always has a tale to tell for each of her images, you may or may not choose to go on the journey with her or you may indeed have a different story, one of your own that jumps off the page at you, that that you decide to follow. Artwork Details: Water, 122 x 152cm, Collaged woodblock print, acrylic inks on Somerset satin paper, 2023 Artwork Provenance: from the Artist Studio photo credits, Isabel working, black and white shots, James Brown In Isabel's own words: Water; Once upon a time there was water. It fell from the sky in clear blue droplets. It made pools and puddles on the ground. The water tasted sweet and pure, it was good to drink, to make soup, to swim in or to wash in. It made the plants and trees grow big and luscious, it was the lifeblood of everything.. Everybody loved water and no one ever questioned where it came from or that one day the rain might stop and there would be no water. The water women went about their usual business, they made soup, they grew cabbages, they argued and laughed together. The well was always full, there was food aplenty, life thrived. It is sometimes said that ignorance is bliss, and the women did live in bliss although they did not know it. They did not know that one day the rain would stop. It was only when the rain stopped that they knew they had lived in bliss. *Please note we are happy to ship this work rolled in an art tube. Whilst the work is on heavy duty art paper and mixed media, the artist is happy that the painting will be fine rolled in a tube. This is a more cost effective and environmentally sound method of shipping. Shipping via this method is free. About Isabel Rock and her work: Taking inspiration from Japanese woodblock prints and Indian miniature painting Rock has developed a unique collage technique that combines bold structures with large-scale woodblock prints and intricate detailing. The subject is a grand mixture of humour, drama, hidden morals, fanciful characters, modern culture, mythical beings and fantastical situations. Rock creates a world that pulls you in and demands your attention. Quality of line is paramount, the drawings are created using a dipping pen and acrylic ink. An essential tool is a squirrel...
Paint, Mixed Media, Acrylic, Archival Paper, Pen
V.B.: Her Rain Hat
By Kim Frohsin
Located in Burlingame, CA
'V.B.: Her Rain Hat' by celebrated figurative artist Kim Frohsin, painted in 2018. The artwork is 11 1/2 x 8 1/2 inches and it is professionally framed, 20 3/4 x 17. 1/2 inches in a ...
Ink, Gouache
$927
H 16.15 in W 11.82 in
Untitled 20 - Series 2019, Contemporary Abstract Painting, Textile Lightness
By Tomasz Prymon
Located in Salzburg, AT
About Prymon’s Exhibition Dopaminum and his paintings: ”Dopaminum” - Tomasz Prymon Dopamine – colloquially referred to as the hormone of love and happiness. Why is this organic che...
Acrylic, Handmade Paper
Figure surrealiste
By Leonor Fini
Located in Milan, IT
China su carta. Firmato in basso a destra. Al retro è presente timbro di Galleria d'arte e a matita il titolo "Conciliabula". Pittrice, scenografa, costumista, scrittrice, illustrat...
India Ink
Sold
H 12 in W 9.5 in D 1 in
Sexy Cat - Nude Unicorn Cat Woman - Chat Surrealiste
By Leonor Fini
Located in Miami, FL
Leonor Fini creates a hybrid cat-woman-unicorn that is sexy and alluring. Signed lower right. Gouache and pen and ink on paper on heavy textured paper. The authenticity of this work has been confirmed by Richard Overstreet...
Paper, Ink, Gouache, Pen
Portrait of Pao Ying
By Leonor Fini
Located in Palm Desert, CA
"Portrait of Pao Ying" is a painting by Surrealist Leonor Fini. The painting is signed lower right, "Leonor Fini". The framed portrait measures 19 7/8 x 14 5/8 x 1 1/2 in. The sitter, Pao Ying (spelled in catalogue raisonne Pao Weng), was a close friend of Leonor Fini. Pao was also an artist, a jewelry designer. This is the only known painting by Fini of a Chinese woman. The frame is original. Leonor Fini (1907 – 1996) was born in Argentina, grew up in Italy, and spent much of her adult life in Paris working alongside such modern masters as Max Ernst, Andre Breton, Henri Cartier-Bresson, and George Balanchine. A self-taught artist, Fini’s work spans many mediums, including drawing, printmaking, costume design, and theatrical sets. As a painter, Fini is typically grouped with European surrealism, although she rejected what she considered the reductive labels of art movements. Nonetheless, Fini’s work engages with the unconscious and includes fantastical scenes with jarring, other-worldly juxtapositions and symbolism. Unlike many surrealists, however, Fini engages deeply with the corporeality of the human body in a way that often subverts gender norms. Fini’s female figures are typically dominant and stoic, while her male figures are eroticized. In other cases, the figures are highly androgynous and eroticized, complicating the way human sexuality is normally presented. Described by many to be particularly tall and commanding in physical appearance with very unusual cat-like eyes, in many ways she was more creaturely than human. Taking the artistic interest in the motif of an animal/human hybrid somewhat literally, she stood as an embodiment of feline transformation and metamorphosis, and came to accurately identify herself with the ancient figure of a Sphinx. Deadly in Greek tradition, whilst benevolent but ferocious in Egyptian stories, the appearance of the mythical creature is symbolic of Fini's love for artifice and nature combined. During her lifetime, Fini’s work was regularly well received and moderately successful. She enjoyed inclusion in the 1936 landmark MOMA exhibition Fantastic, Dada, Surrealism and a show at the Julien Levy gallery in New York. More recently, her art has enjoyed considerably more attention as she undergoes a critical and scholarly re-evaluation. She has been the subject of recent solo exhibitions at the Museum of Sex, New York (2018); the Weinstein Gallery...
Oil, Panel
7b
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on washi paper Ed. H.C. X Exemplaire B
Archival Paper, Lithograph
7a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches Ed. H.C. X Exemplaire B Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris,...
Lithograph, Archival Paper
12a
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Lithograph on Arches Ed. H.C. X Exemplaire B Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris,...
Lithograph, Archival Paper
1
By Leonor Fini
Located in Columbia, MO
Watercolor on Arches Leonor Fini was born in Argentina in 1907 but travelled and lived in Europe with her mother from a young age. By 1931, she was in Paris, in the full swing of th...
Watercolor
Portrait de Femme ( Self Portrait ? )
By Leonor Fini
Located in Miami, FL
This is a possible self portrait by the famed female surrealist artist. It is also strikingly similar in style with it's exaggerated eyes to her portrait of Jean Genet, ( Leonor F...
Canvas, Oil