3. Surreal Scene

Feminist Critique & Transformation

Loy’s 1930 painting Surreal Scene provides a fascinating reflection on Surrealism in Paris.  Through a series of small tableaux arranged around the larger figure of a female nude, the painting critically analyzes the role of women and Surrealism. Just as Loy mapped the scenes of Futurist Florence in her poetry (see “Futurist Florence/Futurist Rome”), “Surreal Scene” maps the aesthetic preoccupations of the Surrealist movement, as it extended into domestic, public, and psychological terrain. Even as she casts a critical eye on Surrealism’s treatment of women, Loy’s painting stakes out her role as a dynamic part of the “Surreal Scene.” In this section, you can explore:

Click the arrows below to tour Loy’s painting and then hop on the Carousel to investigate transformations of Surrealism in the work of Loy and her female contemporaries:

What were some of the central adaptations and transformations of Surrealist ideas and techniques in the work of Loy and her female contemporaries? Choose from the Carousel below: