Le Mystere Du Dr. Goudrou Et Du Professeur Plume 

This painting, by Léonor Fini, seems to have been made with oil paint, applied in layers and in places quite thickly. See how the artist manipulates the material to create a range of textures, from smooth skin to rough, almost crusty surfaces. The figures are rendered with a kind of studied awkwardness. Note in particular how Fini exploits the fluid quality of the paint to suggest ambiguous forms. It is as if the figures are emerging out of a primordial ooze. It is important to understand that Fini was not interested in traditional virtuosity. She wanted to use the medium of paint to express something more raw and unsettling. The very act of painting, with its messy materiality, becomes a way to grapple with the subconscious, and to push back against established norms of beauty. This approach challenges the conventional hierarchy between craft and fine art, with the artist more concerned with experimentation than technical skill.