La Bergère des sphinx

Mediums: oil, canvas.
Location: Peggy Guggenheim Collection, Venice (Italy).

This painting was one of the first, where the image of sphinx appeared, which became permanent in the work of the artist. She created a painting, where creatures with incredibly beautiful female faces and realistic bodies of animals “graze” in a surrealistic landscape that is distinguished by asceticism. The figure of a half-naked shepherd dominates over the low horizon line against the background of the disquieting sky (maybe, this is an image of the author herself). The image exoticism of Leonor Fini was primarily a challenge to male domination in society and art. M. Ernst, an admirer of the artist’s talent, confirmed that the symbolism of Fini influenced his art.