Leonor Fini, Le Visage des Stylites, 1976, Signed Charcoal on Paper

ARTWORK
Title: Le Visage des Stylites
Artist: Leonor Fini (Argentine‑Italian, 1907–1996)
Date: 1976
Medium: Original charcoal drawing on paper
Signature & Frame: Signed by the artist; professionally framed
 
Dimensions:
Unframed Sheet: 18.6 × 17.6 cm (7.3 × 6.9 in)
Framed: 40.5 × 37 cm (16 × 14.6 in)
 
Condition Report:
Excellent-preserved charcoal image
Minor edge wear typical of vintage mounted works
Artwork and signature clearly visible through glass
 
Why This Work Is Significant
Leonor Fini was a singular presence in 20th-century art: an intellectual, myth-making artist whose career spanned surrealism, theater design, and feminist imagery. Fini consistently defied artistic trends, ultimately defining her own visual world rooted in androgyny, mythology, and psychological resonance.
 
Le Visage des Stylites reflects Fini’s fascination with isolation and spiritual ascension: stylites were ascetic figures who lived atop columns. One of her works from this series sold at Sotheby’s for $720,000 plus fees , emphasizing the significance of the series within her oeuvre.
 
Fini’s works are held in major collections such as MoMA and the Max Ernst Museum, and her market interest has surged in recent years, particularly around her “Stylites” and goddess-themed works.