The Mystical Mind of Remedios Varo

Does the painting below remind you of a scene from a movie or a video game? It’s easy to imagine that after interacting with the floating orb, the figures will race through this alien landscape, adventures waiting just around the bend.

While this image might seem like something out of a fantasy film from today, the artist Remedios Varo (reh-MEE-dee-ohs VAH-roh) was an innovator during her lifetime. She attended the same art school as her fellow Surrealist Salvador Dalí, but their inspirations were quite different. While Dalí explored dreams, alchemy fascinated Varo. During the Middle Ages, people believed that alchemists could transform materials into gold. The mysteries of alchemy feature prominently in Varo’s paintings.

The painting below might remind you of a movie or video game. It’s easy to imagine the subjects in this scene running down the path to their next adventure. It was painted in the 1940s by Surrealist artist Remedios Varo (reh-MEE-dee-ohs VAH-roh). She went to the same art school as Salvador Dalí. Her talent and her interest in mystical ideas and images would make her a successful Surrealist painter.

Varo, born in 1908 in a small town in Spain, moved a lot as a child. Her father was an engineer who worked on projects throughout Spain and northern Africa, uprooting his family with each new job. Varo’s first artistic training came from her father, who encouraged her to copy his technical diagrams. If her copies weren’t perfect, he asked her to start over, teaching her to always seek perfection.

After attending art school in Spain, Varo moved to Paris, where she met many Surrealists. In 1941, as World War II reached Paris, she fled to Mexico. At first, Varo worked in commercial design to support herself. She also surrounded herself with other artists who were interested in alchemy. Varo used what she learned from these fellow artists in paintings like the example above.

Gypsy and Harlequin, 1947, features two figures in a peculiar dreamscape. A gypsy was a person who roamed from place to place, and a harlequin was a clown. The gypsy holds an orb—with smaller figures inside—above her head. Doll-like creatures watch from holes in the wall behind the figures. Although the painting’s specific meaning is unclear, Varo shows that a supernatural event is occurring.

Varo was born in 1908 in a small town in Spain. As a child, she lived in many places in Spain and Northern Africa because of her father’s job. Varo went to art school in Spain and then moved to Paris, where she met many Surrealists. But by 1941, World War II had reached Paris. Varo fled to Mexico. Along the way, she met artists who helped inspire her mystical ideas.

In 1947, Varo painted Gypsy and Harlequin, above. She shows two figures in a strange dreamscape, or dreamlike scene. A gypsy was a person who constantly moved from place to place. A harlequin was another name for a clown.

In this work, the gypsy raises an orb with smaller figures inside. Figures that look like eerie dolls watch from holes in the walls. The painting’s meaning is difficult to understand. But Varo makes it clear that something supernatural is happening.

Varo explores the magic of transformation through her portrayal of solitary figures on spiritual quests. Her 1959 Exploration of the Sources of the Orinoco River, above, shows a woman’s journey in a boat formed from a red coat. The Orinoco River is a real river in Venezuela, but nothing else about this composition seems realistic. Delicate ropes tie the woman to the boat as a pair of small wings guide the vessel. The misty water seems more cloud-like than liquid. In a carved hole in a tree, the traveler finds a goblet spilling over with fluid that represents the river’s source. Together the composition and title create a narrative about the figure’s mysterious journey.

Varo often paints figures on journeys. The 1959 painting at right is called Exploration of the Sources of the Orinoco River. It shows a woman in a boat that seems to be made of a coat with buttons and pockets. The Orinoco River is a real river in Venezuela. But nothing else about this composition appears in real life.

The boat is propelled by a pair of magical wings. Even the river looks more like clouds than water. In a carved hole in a tree, liquid gushes out of a goblet. The work’s title suggests that this is the source of the river. Varo includes all these details to create a narrative, or story, about the woman’s quest.

Varo invents spaces to help tell stories in her paintings. In her 1961 La Llamada (The Call), above, a figure appears in an enclosed space. Monochromatic figures emerge from the walls, making the space feel smaller. The floor seems to tip toward the front of the composition, lifting the background closer to the viewer. Varo plays with scale, showing the glowing woman’s long hair reaching the solar system above. As the walls close in, the figure also seems to be able to touch the sky. How does the unusual space add to the feeling that this scene is part of a larger narrative?

Varo’s first solo exhibition in 1955 was a triumph. One critic said she had “an imagination bathed in the most exquisite poetry.” By the time the show closed, there was a waiting list to buy Varo’s paintings.

Varo invents strange spaces to help tell stories in her paintings. In La Llamada (The Call), above, a figure is in a narrow space with no ceiling. Ghostly figures emerge from the walls, making the space seem even smaller. The floor looks like it’s tipping forward. This makes the background appear closer to the viewer. Varo plays with scale, or size. The glowing woman’s long hair reaches all the way into the sky. What stories can you imagine about the woman in this unusual space?

In 1955, Varo presented her first solo art show. Viewers were stunned by her work. So many people wanted to buy her paintings that the artist had to make a waiting list!