L’Alcove 1941

Léonor Fini made this painting, L’Alcove, with oil on canvas. I really get a sense of the theatrical from it—a stage set with those heavy drapes, framing this intimate scene. The way Fini handles the light is so painterly. It gives everything this kind of otherworldly glow, you know? I imagine Fini, brush in hand, teasing out those figures from the dark background. The skin tones feel so alive. It reminds me of some of those old master paintings, but with a really strange, modern twist. There’s something androgynous, mysterious about the figures that feels very Fini. I think about other painters like Balthus and Delvaux, how they explored similar themes of desire and the subconscious through the body. I think Fini had her own unique way of looking at things, really pushing the boundaries of what was considered acceptable or beautiful. Painting is like a big conversation, with artists borrowing, responding, and remixing ideas across time.