Dithyrambe

Mediums: oil, paper, canvas.
Location: The Gallery N. Zuckerman CFM, Paris (France).

The painting represents the performance of an ancient Greek dance in honor of Dionysus – the god of vine and fertility – by a two-headed sphinx; these creatures are iconic in the work of Leonor. For the artist’s mythic alter ego, the bright orange background symbolizes fire surrounding the creature. Art Nouveau jewelry usually turns a frightening hybrid into a benevolent figure. Fini’s friend, collector N. Tsukerman, who had a large collection of her works and wrote 3 books about her, noted Leonor’s memory that the image of the sphinx first attracted her in Trieste – she was struck at the pier by a stone sculpture, which became a landmark in her art.