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Born in Cockerham, Lancashire, in 1917, Carrington had wished to become an artist from an early age. Her father finally relented and allowed her to join Amédée Ozenfant's private art school in North London in 1936. The fellow student, Ursula Goldfinger, a Crosse & Blackwell heiress, introduced her to Max Ernst and soon after she fled to Paris to live with him, meeting artists such as Picasso, Dali, Eluard and Mesens. In 1937 Ernst and Carrington moved to a farmhouse in Provence and in 1938 Ernst finally left his wife, Marie-Berthe for Carrington. Following the outbreak of war Ernst was arrested as an enemy alien and later interned under German supervision. Unable to secure his release, Carrington had a breakdown, fleeing through Andorra to Madrid. After 6 months in the infamous Santander lunatic asylum, Carrington sought refuge with Renato Leduc in the Mexican embassy whom she later married. In 1942 they moved to New York and then Mexico, however the marriage did not last and in 1946 she married the Hungarian photographer "Chiki" Weisz and lives between Mexico City and Chicago. Leonora Carrington has drawn inspiration from many sources, including Irish fairy tales, witchcraft, alchemy, the Bible and the Cabala, however her lifelong friend, Edward James, distills this most poignantly when he describes her as "one of those rare sports of nature, a spiritual mutation." (Leonora Carrington, Paintings, drawings and sculptures 1940-1990, London 1991, p.44)

Leonora Carrington (b. 1917)

The Moon

Details

Leonora Carrington (b. 1917)
The Moon
signed and dated 'Leonora Carrington 24/9/32' (lower right), inscribed 'THE/MOON (upper right)
pencil, black ink and watercolour
10 x 6¾ in. (25.4 x 17.2 cm.)

Provenance

The Carrington Family.

Special notice

No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 15% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

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