Who is Dorothea Tanning?

Dorothea Tanning (1910-2012) was an American Surrealist painter, sculptor, and writer whose career spanned over seven decades. Her paintings feature young girls in mysterious domestic spaces, doors opening onto infinite vistas, and unsettling psychological atmospheres. Works like ‘Birthday’ (a self-portrait with a fantastic creature) and ‘Eine Kleine Nachtmusik’ exemplify her ability to transform ordinary interiors into sites of uncanny encounter. Married to Max Ernst, Tanning later created soft sculptures and continued painting into her nineties. Her work explores female subjectivity, desire, and transformation with psychological intensity. Tanning’s long career demonstrates Surrealism’s continuing vitality and her influence extends through Pop Surrealism and feminist art.