The Souls of the Mountain 1938

Remedios Varo made this painting, "The Souls of the Mountain", sometime in her life, but we don't know when. Look at these stone figures emerging from a misty dreamscape, and the tenuous threads that connect them. I can imagine Varo in her studio, lost in thought, carefully layering thin glazes of paint to create these translucent, otherworldly forms. What was she thinking when she made this? Did she see herself as one of these souls, tethered to the earth but longing to connect with something beyond? There's a quiet stillness here that reminds me of other surrealist painters, like Leonora Carrington, who explored similar themes of identity, spirituality, and the interconnectedness of all things. Painting can be like that - one big conversation. Each artist speaks and responds, influenced by those who came before, adding their voice to the mix. Like all good painting, Varo’s work embraces ambiguity, inviting us to bring our own experiences and interpretations to the table.