Visage jaune c. 1948

Leonor Fini made this painting, Visage jaune, using watercolor and ink to explore a face that seems to emerge from a dream. It’s all about process, isn’t it? Fini’s marks feel so intuitive. The colours are translucent, like washes of memory, with yellows and greens that give the face an otherworldly glow. Look at how the ink lines dance around the face, defining features with a delicate touch. The paint isn’t trying to hide; it's thin, flowing, almost like she let the water do some of the work. It’s so interesting to see the subtle textures created by the watercolour bleeding into the paper, like the face is dissolving into the background. See that single line that defines the brow? It’s confident and full of character. Fini’s work makes me think of Remedios Varo. They both tap into a similar vein of surreal, feminine mystique. It's more like an invitation than a statement. There is no one way to read it.