Captivating surrealist sculpture “La Grande Dame (The Cat Woman),” created by influential British-Mexican artist Leonora Carrington, is headed for auction for the first time in 30 years. The piece is expected to fetch between $5 million and $7 million.
“La Grande Dame (The Cat Woman)” is arguably one of Carrington’s most famous pieces and one of the few painted sculptures created by the surrealist artist. It shows a towering figure with a butterfly-like face, mysterious expression, and body adorned with surreal and fantastical scenes and beings.
The piece is considered to be a blend of influences from cultures of Ancient Egypt, Mexico, and Ireland while paying tribute to the “divine feminine.”
“The work synthesizes diverse iconographies of the divine feminine into a human dimension,” Anna Di Stasi, Sotheby’s head of Latin American Art, said in a statement. “La Grande Dame creates a profound sense of otherworldly presence acting as a Surrealist portal to transport the viewer both physically and psychically into her wondrous universe.”
Sculptures represent a smaller part of Carrington’s creative output, many of which are surrounded by questions of authenticity. However, “La Grande Dame (The Cat Woman)” isn’t among them as the piece has a well-documented provenance.
Leonora Carrington was primarily known as a painter. Her paintings are full of mystical and mythological motifs, including strange creatures, ancient goddesses, human-animal hybrids, and surreal scenes. She was also an accomplished novelist.
