The Doll (Maquette for The Doll's Games) 1938

Hans Bellmer created 'The Doll' as a study for his larger project, 'The Doll's Games', and it's all about taking apart and reassembling the body, both physically and psychologically. Looking at this sculpture, you can see Bellmer's process laid bare, it's not about hiding the construction, but revealing it. The surface is rough, almost raw, and the joins and seams are visible. It makes you consider the individual elements that make up the whole. I keep thinking about the colour, that slightly yellowed tone, like old porcelain, which feels really unsettling. It’s like he's asking us to rethink what a body can be, what it can mean. This piece reminds me a little of Louise Bourgeois's sculptures. Like Bellmer, she used the body as a site of psychological exploration and distortion, to create work that is both beautiful and deeply disturbing. Ultimately, Bellmer's work is about embracing ambiguity and multiple interpretations, rather than seeking fixed meanings.