Self Portrait with Scorpion - Leonor Fini

A 1939 Surrealist self-portrait by Leonor Fini, featuring the artist in a composed, theatrical pose with a scorpion concealed within her glove.

Leonor Fini, a central figure in the Surrealist circle of the 1930s, painted this self-portrait in 1939. The work displays her characteristic approach to identity, where the subject adopts a theatrical, almost performative persona. Fini presents herself with a steady, direct gaze, wearing a structured brown garment with deliberate tears at the elbows. Her left hand is raised, clad in a pale glove that conceals a scorpion, an element that introduces a sense of danger and ambiguity to the composition. The painting is executed with a smooth, precise technique that aligns with the academic traditions Fini admired, yet the subject matter remains firmly within the realm of the uncanny. The muted colour palette, dominated by earthy browns, greys, and a sharp accent of red at the waist, focuses the viewer on the psychological tension between the sitter and the creature she holds. Unlike many of her contemporaries who focused on dreamscapes or automatic drawing, Fini used portraiture to explore themes of power, gender, and the construction of the self. Fini was known for her independence from the formal Surrealist group led by André Breton. She maintained her own artistic path, often incorporating elements of the macabre or the occult into her work. This portrait captures her ability to blend classical portraiture techniques with a subversive, personal mythology. The scorpion, often associated with transformation or hidden threats, acts as a quiet disruption to the otherwise composed and elegant appearance of the artist. The work remains a clear example of her interest in the performative nature of femininity and the use of symbolic objects to complicate the narrative of a traditional portrait.