Vesper Express, from Les Leçons 1976

In "Vesper Express" by Léonor Fini, it's all about the cool, muted palette, a world of grey, silver, and muted hues. You can sense how Fini layered these pigments, building ghostly forms and geometric patterns that feel like a dreamscape. I imagine Fini, brush in hand, stepping into this odd, almost ethereal railway carriage. The paint seems thinly applied, translucent almost, allowing the underlayers to peek through, adding depth and mystery. Just look at how the figures emerge, their stark beauty framed by decorative panels. It's like Fini’s playing with the idea of what's seen and what's hidden. Fini’s work, with its surreal sensibility and focus on the female form, reminds me of other artists exploring similar themes, like Remedios Varo and Leonora Carrington. What they all share is an interest in alternative realities, and hidden worlds. These artists were in conversation, responding to each other's visual language. Painting is such a great form of embodied expression. The figures might seem locked in place but somehow they seem about to move any second... ambiguous and open to many readings.