Something is up: Eris trine the Galactic Center? The Age of Nine? Les Distractions de Dragobert, a painting by the quadruple Aries surrealist Leonora Carrington, has just broken artistic records, making her work more valuable than that of the iconic Picasso or Salvador Dali.
Whatever you think of monetary valuations of art, this is big. As a Sotheby’s representative said “the recent surge of interest in previously overlooked women artists connected with the surrealist movement marks a profoundly significant cultural shift.”
Leonora Carrington never gave a merde about official accolades and in fact, only received them relatively late in her long life.
As one of her biographies observes: “Early on in her life she had decided there was only one thing she could ever rely on and that was the steeliness in her heart…she was as unconcerned by the approval of others as of their disapproval.”
This particular work was painted as she emerged from World War 2 and one of the darkest phases of her personal life, having been involuntarily hospitalized at the outbreak of the conflict. She was approaching Saturn Return with Neptune beginning a lengthy and clearly genius decades-long opposition to her Aries stellium.
Like all her work, Les Distractions De Dragobert features layers of magic, alchemy and metaphysically enriched history. If you want to dive down a research labyrinth, look up King Dragobert, the last of the Merovingian rulers.
I’ve been long-obsessed with Leonora Carrington’s art, as well as those of her good friend Remedios Varo – you can see my fave pieces illustrating The Not So Foolish Fool, Honoring Giordano Bruno, A Witch Poem for the Virgo Moon and What To Do With The Pluto Diaries.
Thoughts?
when I half heard this on the news, I thought, goodness, Mystic is ahead of the curve again!!! I’ve never heard of Leonora Carrington other than on your website
if anyone is in europe (more precisely italy) next year, there are not one but two exhibitions on surrealist women painters – leonor fini in spring 2025 and leonora carrington from october 2025 to february 2026. the venue is palazzo reale, right in the centre of milan. it’s quite a large building and all the exhibitions I’ve seen there featured a large number of works of art, so unless the two leonoras had a small production I imagine it will be worth travelling there for them.
Isa! I got so excited when i read this because i’m in Milan atm, & thought i’d catch Leonor Fini while i’m here – but it’s next Spring, dang it. So worth going to see L. Carrington as i think it’s the retrospective which i saw in Madrid last year which was wonderful, and yes, it’s satisfyingly large. They were also selling her book on the Tarot which i had no idea about – just gorgeous.
(I’m not sure if you live/work in Milan, but i love how it is drenched in jasmine right now. I think Italy is much favoured by Venus)
ciao skarab! I’m in milan too at the moment 🙂 ! I’m italian and although I was born elsewhere I’ve lived in milan for many, many years and I think more sooner than later I’ll make my way back here (from london). oh yes, and the lovely smelling lime trees are in flower too! I’m here until the 12th. don’t know if exchanges of email or numbers are allowed here on the blog, but if so, and if you have time, I’d love to meet up 🙂
Would have loved to meet up Isa, but i’ve had to cut my trip short because we had a fire in our building back home – again. Some fuqwit deliberately set a parked motorbike on fire which exploded – setting part of our building ablaze. It’s the 2nd fire we’ve had in 6 months …🤯 … WTF!?
Magari la prossima volta. <3.
oh lordy :((((… so sorry to hear about that, skarab. best wishes <3 and ciao 🙂
Oh wow!!! This is exciting news
re the age of 9, this does seem possibly more “gentle” than an Eris influenced shift, which might set off the more shadowy (but until then unchallenged) sentiments lurking in the subconscious of others? e.g. come to think of it the whole discussion now about “man or bear” might have bit of a sassy Eris signature. I’ve only just thought of that though.
maybe this is an early indicator for Saturn in Pisces too tho? like dreamy/ surreal /mystical (/slacker/genius /quirky romance etc) themes are becoming recognised or $ backed once again in the world of business..?
just some thoughts while in standing in my kitchen being distracted from making a cup of tea, anyway.
unrelated question. what is the astro of the Manic Pixie Dream Girl concept?
Age of 9.
And a thank you very much for turning us onto Carrington & Varo many moons ago as their art is astounding brilliant!
Oman looks like Salvador Dali has been knocked off his higher perch-ass – that was really a duck?
Yep the more Eris is exposed the more likely we might survive –
let’s get a little crazier
The rumors of Dali being a serial killer made him all the more unpalatable (ha-ha) to me. Carrington, Rosaleen Norton, these are incredible artists.
What wonderful news. I love Carrington and Varo’s pieces. Witchy, deep and bizarre. Go Girl Power!
Some of my dreams lately would fit right in to this conceptual genre. Water flowing beneath the ground, houses as magical places and lots of kitten and pups that need rescuing and healed with a small amount of attention. Man, Leonora must have had some insanely interesting dreams, did she journal them?
And Giordano Bruno was definitely wrong place, wrong time. Wouldn’t he have fit in now? I think very much Yes!
Yessss!
We love to see women getting their flowers – and coin! Now let’s have it in their lifetimes 🙂 Thank you for sharing about this artist and so much more 🙂