La Belle 1974

Léonor Fini imagined this enigmatic painting, La Belle, with oils and probably a very fine brush. Just look at how precisely the bone structure is rendered, with pink flowers woven into the hair. I can almost feel Fini's breath as she painted this, hovering so close to the canvas. It looks like a hybrid creature, something out of mythology, but made modern and maybe a bit funny. I wonder, did she pause and laugh a little as she painted the skeleton? And what about that expression? She is holding a rose, but she doesn't look too happy. I think of other artists who have combined life and death, like Hilma af Klint, or maybe even Frida Kahlo. Artists are always in conversation with each other, remixing old ideas with new feelings. It is a very strange image, but the cool color palette, and its precision, makes it feel like a dream.