Art Institute of Chicago

Turning Point of Thirst

Victor Brauner

1934

Attribution

Victor Brauner Romanian, 1903–1966

Medium

Oil on canvas with painted frame

Physical dimensions

50.5 × 59 cm (19 7/8 × 23 1/4 in.)

Credit line

Promised gift of Mr. and Mrs. Joseph Pulitzer, Jr.; purchased with funds provided by Richard Gray; Alyce and Edwin De Costa and the Walter E. Heller Foundation

From the museum

Upon settling in Paris in 1930, Victor Brauner established a deep friendship with the artist Yves Tanguy , who introduced him to the Surrealist circle. Three years later, Brauner joined the group with the support of Tanguy, and his 1934 solo show at the Galerie Pierre, for which André Breton wrote the catalogue introduction, solidified his position. Like other Surrealists of the period, such as Salvador Dalí and René Magritte , Brauner was inspired by dreams, the unconscious, and mysticism, as well as diverse religions and ancient mythologies. Such influences are present in the artist’s Turning Point of Thirst , one of the works included in his 1934 exhibition. Of this work, Brauner wrote that "representing this personage in withered tatters expresses unremitting solitude and should pound the senses."

Description: Art Institute of Chicago · CC BY 4.0