Leonora Carrington

Leonora Carrington was an English-born Mexican artist and painter. She was also a noted novelist. She emerged as a prominent figure during the Surrealist movement of the 1930s. She is known for her mysterious, autobiographical and dreamlike paintings that include themes of sorcery, alchemy, the occult and metamorphosis which make her art strikingly captivating. Some of her notable paintings are ‘Self-Portrait (Inn of the Dawn Horse)’ (1936–1937), ‘The Meal of Lord Candlestick’ (1938), ‘The Temptation of St. Anthony’ (1947) and ‘Juggler’ (1954). Not only the paintings but her knack in surrealism was also evident from her prolific writings that include ‘The House of Fear’, ‘The Oval Lady and ‘The Debutante’. Some of her other popular books are ‘Down Below’, ‘The Seventh Horse and Other Tales’, ‘The Stone Door’ and ‘The Hearing Trumpet’. She remained one of the founder-members of the Mexican ‘Women’s Liberation Movement’. Her painting ‘Juggler’ was auctioned for US$713,000 in 2005, which was a record for a living surrealist painter.