The Surrealist Movement was formed by André Breton with the first Surrealist manifesto of 1924 and quickly became an international movement that included writers, artists, and filmmakers. West Dean College founder, Edward James, became an associate of the movement in the mid-1930s and is now known as one for the foremost patrons of surrealist art in Britain. Objects of Desire, a collaboration between the ”la Caixa” Foundation and Germany’s Vitra Design Museum, showcases 286 works of art and design by many of the artists James patronised, published, and with whom he formed friendship, including Salvador Dalí, Max Ernst, Man Ray, Giorgio de Chirico, Isamu Noguchi, Pedro Friedeberg and Marcel Duchamp.

Looking through the Archives at West Dean, it is evident that Edward James was friends with Fini for a long while and this new research has extended our knowledge of her life including the discovery of some unpublished photographs of Fini in the Archive which evidence their friendship. For example, one particular photograph, which was taken in James's hotel room at the Waldorf Astoria, New York in the late 1930s, shows Fini wrapped in an eiderdown. They are part of a collection of photographs that also include images of American Poet Charles Henri Ford and his younger sister, the actor Ruth Ford.  

Hugh Morrison, Collections Manager, West Dean College of Arts and Conservation (part of the Edward James Foundation) commented: “We are excited to lend Leonor Fini’s oil-on-canvas L’Ombrelle No. 1 for this landmark touring exhibition. Featured alongside key artworks and objects by Salvador Dalí, Corbusier, Isamu Noguchi and other significant artists, it explores the relationship between objects and Surrealism. We are delighted that Leonor Fini’s intriguing painting will be appreciated by audiences in Madrid, Seville and Girona (in September).”

He explains: “L’Ombrelle No. 1 was painted by Leonor Fini around 1948. Edward James certainly purchased it, but there is no paperwork in the archive to confirm whether he commissioned it. The face that subtly peeps through tattered the umbrella in this painting is typical of Leonor Fini’s dream-like work.”

He goes on to say: “It is worth noting that the work of women artists such as Leonor Fini and Leonora Carrington, who Edward James recognised and supported when they were both active, are now very much in demand by international curators as their legacies are being more widely recognised.”

Spending her early years in Italy, Leonor Fini had no formal artistic training but studied the Italian Masters and was always fascinated by death and the macabre. Known for her eccentricity, cross-dressing and having dinner with her 23 cats, she moved to Paris in 1931 and became friends with Giorgio de Chirico; Max Ernst and Leonora Carrington, however she is most well-known for designing the costumes for the film 8½ by Federico Fellini in 1963. Her work is now in the Collections of the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York; the Centre Georges Pompidou in Paris and the Tate Modern.    

L’Ombrelle No. 1, which measures Canvas 552 x 642 x 25 mm/ Frame 685 x 590 x 80 mm has featured in the following exhibitions:

• A Surreal Life: Edward James 1907-1984, Brighton Museum, 1998
• Surrealism: Desire Unbound, Tate Modern, 2001-2002
• Angels of Anarchy: Women Artists and Surrealism, Manchester Art Gallery, 2010

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation was founded by Edward James in 1971 with the aim of supporting future generations of artists and makers. Today, the College teaches courses ranging from contemporary Fine Art to Furniture Making. The opportunities for interdisciplinary study maintain the legacy of surrealist design, and together with the College’s Collection and Archive, offers unique opportunity for study, from short courses to MFA degrees. West Dean College of Arts and Conservation has an international reputation for excellence and is a full partner of the University of Sussex. For conservation and fine art study opportunities see www.westdean.ac.uk.

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• West Dean College of Arts and Conservation was founded in 1971 by the poet and Surrealist patron, Edward James, recognised by BBC Arts as the ‘the greatest patron of art of the early 20th century’.
• The College is part of The Edward James Foundation (Charity No. 1126084), also comprising West Dean Gardens, West Dean Estate and West Dean Tapestry Studio.
• All photography is free to use for editorial purposes.
• West Dean College is situated on the A286, six miles north of Chichester and within easy access of Portsmouth, Guildford, Brighton and London.

For all media enquiries please contact Rachel Aked:
Email: [email protected]
Telephone: 07790 732448

West Dean College of Arts and Conservation, Chichester, West Sussex, PO18