Leonora Carrington

Exhibition at the Musée du Luxembourg, Paris, 18 February - 19 July 2026

A major figure in 20th-century art, Leonora Carrington (1917-2011) crossed borders, continents and artistic movements, leaving behind a body of work as prolific as it is elusive. Born in England into a family steeped in Celtic traditions, trained in London, Florence and Paris, she joined the Surrealist avant-garde before going into exile, from Spain to New York, then settling permanently in Mexico, where she was recognised alongside Frida Kahlo and Remedios Varo.

This catalogue of the first major exhibition in France devoted to the artist reveals the visionary richness of her universe through paintings, drawings, writings and documents. Between founding myths and intimate stories, Leonora Carrington explores metamorphosis, the sacred feminine, magic, alchemy and ecology, developing an inner cartography nourished by spiritual traditions and legends. Her work, imbued with childhood, memory and the fantastical, conjures up dreamlike gardens and hybrid creatures. Enriched with in-depth essays by specialists, the book invites readers to discover the symbolism of this work hidden beneath enigmatic narratives.