Leonora Carrington; Elena Poniatowska; painting; Surrealism

Abstract

Elena Poniatowska’s novel, Leonora (2011), is a resuscitation of the image of the woman-painter Leonora Carrington, who was born in England, but lived the best part of her life in Mexico. Taking that text as a basis, the pre- sent essay would bring out the relationships between the woman and the artist, who although hailed as the last of the Surrealist painters, never saw herself as a Surrealist. It recalls the crucial episodes of the first twenty years of her life and her apprenticeship in the feverish and tragic atmosphere of the second World War. It also gives an analysis of three of her paintings, from different periods, and attempts to bring into relief the most significant features of her art, in total agreement with her strong personality.