This is one of Penrose's earliest compositions constructed from postcards. These innovative collages are the artist's most significant contribution to surrealist art. Collage had been frequently used by both cubist and surrealist artists, but it was a new idea to feature the repetitive use of the same image. The artist René Magritte, in particular, was an admirer of these works. Among the other materials used for this collage is a rubbing from a piece of wood. This has been used for the face of the female figure.
Sir Roland Penrose (English, 1900 - 1984)
Penrose was born in London into a well-to-do artistic family. He moved to France in 1922 where he was subsequently introduced to members of the surrealist group, and also to Picasso, who became a good friend. During the 1930s Penrose formed the finest private collection of cubist and surrealist art ever to be assembled in Britain. More than thirty items from his collection, as well as his library and archive now belong to the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. Penrose was a prolific artist and a founder member of the English Surrealist Group. He produced innovative collages using picture postcards as well as drawings and paintings. Penrose was also a key figure in the British art world, promoting the cause of modern art in the books he wrote, exhibitions he curated and in co-founding the Institute of Contemporary Arts in London.
