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Remedios Varo: The Mexican Years
"Remedios Varo: The Mexican Years" offers a definitive survey of the life and work of a singularly appealing and mysterious Surrealist painter. Born and raised in Spain, Remedios Varo received her earliest training in Madrid before fleeing the Spanish Civil War in 1937 to join Surrealist circles in Paris. The outbreak of World War II forced her to take refuge in Mexico, where she remained until her untimely death in 1963, and where she created her most enduring work. Known as one of the three "brujas" (witches) active in the Mexico City art milieu, Varo shared an interest in esotericism with fellow painter Leonora Carrington and a range of interests in science, philosophy and the literature of German Romanticism with the photographer Kati Horna. For some ten years, from the mid-1950s until her death in 1963, Varo devoted herself to creating an extraordinary dreamlike oeuvre, on the threshold between mysticism and modernity. Her beautifully crafted images of medieval interiors, occult workshops and androgynous figures engaged in alchemical pursuits evoke the eerie allegories of Hieronymus Bosch, esoteric engravings and the charm and lure of fairytales. This catalogue includes a complete illustrated chronology with never before published images and describes Varo's role in the Mexican Surrealist movement and her relations with Luis Bunuel, Octavio Paz, Benjamin Peret, Alice Rahon, Wolfgang Paalen and many others.
Remedios Varo (1908-1963) fled the Spanish Civil War and then World War II to settle in Mexico where she helped establish a Mexican Surrealist movement and painted visions that combined modernism with mysticism. She was married to the leading French Surrealist Benjamin Peret.
Remedios Varo (1908-1963) fled the Spanish Civil War and then World War II to settle in Mexico where she helped establish a Mexican Surrealist movement and painted visions that combined modernism with mysticism. She was married to the leading French Surrealist Benjamin Peret.
- GenresArtNonfictionWomens
120 pages, Hardcover
First published October 31, 2012
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
May 14, 2022
I was going to recommend this as the most affordable and easy to find book on Varo but I see it is already vanishing too. When I bought this last year, the others were either too expensive for me or old enough that I doubted the reproductions would be the best available. The reproduction is great here.
The text is kept to a minimum and as far as I can recall, all my favorites paintings are here. She's one of my all-timers. Her best work is very atmospheric and textured.
The text is kept to a minimum and as far as I can recall, all my favorites paintings are here. She's one of my all-timers. Her best work is very atmospheric and textured.
January 24, 2014
Really, any book about the artist Remedios Varo is excellent in my opinion. She was an amazing artist.
August 30, 2023
Beautiful reproductions from Varo's mature era. One of the great mystic painters of the past few hundred years.
Unfortunately out of print and therefore becoming very expensive, but with some thorough digging you can probably find a copy for a reasonable price.
Unfortunately out of print and therefore becoming very expensive, but with some thorough digging you can probably find a copy for a reasonable price.
October 25, 2020
Initially I was dismayed by the thinness of the volume of this book when I received it. But after reading it, I found it presented a fantastic representation of Remedios Varo’s work. Loved the book.
August 9, 2026
Short intro, beautiful reproductions, concise chronology at the end. Wonderful.
December 18, 2016
Amazing art! I was pleased to find the paintings paired with insightful essays about the artist's life and how it impacted specific works.
July 8, 2026
Remedios Varo.... que mujer, ojalá poder tener una conversación con ella. Que imágenes tan interesantes y con "mucha lógica" plasma en sus cuadros. A pesar de ser surrealista, todo tiene un sentido internl muy acogedor que te hace "entender" o interpretar el cuadro rápidamente a diferencia de otros surrealistas que he visto (ni mejores ni peores) que, para mi, te dejan mas confuso que reflexivo.
Siempre lo diré, pero, ojalá un libro de Ursula K. Le Guin ilustrado por Remedios Varo🤯.
En algun sueño se me aparecera algo asi....
Siempre lo diré, pero, ojalá un libro de Ursula K. Le Guin ilustrado por Remedios Varo🤯.
En algun sueño se me aparecera algo asi....
April 23, 2019
A solid introduction to Remedios Varo's art works, life in Mexico, and influences. The printed reproductions of her work are gorgeous. I hope to see these paintings in person someday. A book can't truly contain them.
November 12, 2021
En un catálogo con fotos de muy alta calidad. Merece la pena hojearlo porque puedes apreciar detalles y texturas que no encuentras en las fotos de internet.
Sin embargo, apenas trae texto. Dos o tres páginas con una breve biografía, nada reseñable.
Sin embargo, apenas trae texto. Dos o tres páginas con una breve biografía, nada reseñable.
June 13, 2017
Decently written essay with interesting insights to Varo's works, which are reproduced beautifully
February 3, 2021
Las pinturas de Remedios Varo son maravillosas. El texto introductorio, en cambio, no tanto; a mi parecer, poco más que unas pinceladas biográficas.
June 23, 2021
The reproductions are the best i ve seen so far
January 9, 2023
Es mi libro de arte favorito, definitivamente. Amo todo lo relacionado a Remedios Varo y su obra.
January 19, 2023
la gracia de este libro es poder apreciar los detalles de las pinturas de Remedios Varos en altísima calidad y buen tamaño
October 2, 2023
Had wonderful reproductions of Varo’s work with great color and detail that were a joy to look at. The text was very informative and offered information on Varo’s life in Mexico, as well as her art, family, and circle of friends. Overall, this was an interesting and beautiful book which I recommend reading if you are interested in Varo’s art.
February 19, 2025
Her paintings are superb.
October 11, 2022
El libro compila la obra de la pintora española durante su estancia en México, donde realizó la parte más importante de su carrera.
Remedios Varo llevó a cabo su obra más reconocida y prestigiosa durante los años que vivió en México, una etapa que es observada a detalle en el libro recién publicado Remedios Varo: Los años de México.
Varo, de origen español, es una de las pintoras surrealistas más interesantes y misteriosas, quien plasmó en su obra su atracción por el esoterismo y la ciencia ficción.
La artista nació en Girona, Cataluña, en 1908, y estudió en la Academia de San Fernando en Madrid. Durante la Guerra Civil huyó a París, donde se unió al círculo de surrealistas que habitaba en esa ciudad. Tras la invasión nazi partió a México, donde permaneció hasta su muerte.Llegó a Veracruz a bordo de un transatlántico portugués en septiembre de 1941. Venía en compañía del poeta surrealista francés Benjamin Péret y de un importante grupo de refugiados.
En México trabajó como ilustradora publicitaria, actividad que abandonó para consagrarse a la pintura, lo que la llevó a convertirse en una de las mayores representantes del movimiento surrealista en el país, junto a Leonora Carrington y Kati Horna. El trío fue conocido como " las tres brujas ".El libro cuenta con una introducción de Masayo Nonaka, curadora de la exposición Mujeres surrealistas en México, quien se centra en la etapa mexicana de la artista, la más reconocida y prestigiosa.
Todas las obras que se muestran en este libro fueron parte de la exposición In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in México and the United States (En el país de las maravillas: Las aventuras surrealistas de mujeres artistas en México y Estados Unidos), presentada en 2012 en los Estados Unidos y Canadá.
Remedios Varo llevó a cabo su obra más reconocida y prestigiosa durante los años que vivió en México, una etapa que es observada a detalle en el libro recién publicado Remedios Varo: Los años de México.
Varo, de origen español, es una de las pintoras surrealistas más interesantes y misteriosas, quien plasmó en su obra su atracción por el esoterismo y la ciencia ficción.
La artista nació en Girona, Cataluña, en 1908, y estudió en la Academia de San Fernando en Madrid. Durante la Guerra Civil huyó a París, donde se unió al círculo de surrealistas que habitaba en esa ciudad. Tras la invasión nazi partió a México, donde permaneció hasta su muerte.Llegó a Veracruz a bordo de un transatlántico portugués en septiembre de 1941. Venía en compañía del poeta surrealista francés Benjamin Péret y de un importante grupo de refugiados.
En México trabajó como ilustradora publicitaria, actividad que abandonó para consagrarse a la pintura, lo que la llevó a convertirse en una de las mayores representantes del movimiento surrealista en el país, junto a Leonora Carrington y Kati Horna. El trío fue conocido como " las tres brujas ".El libro cuenta con una introducción de Masayo Nonaka, curadora de la exposición Mujeres surrealistas en México, quien se centra en la etapa mexicana de la artista, la más reconocida y prestigiosa.
Todas las obras que se muestran en este libro fueron parte de la exposición In Wonderland: The Surrealist Adventures of Women Artists in México and the United States (En el país de las maravillas: Las aventuras surrealistas de mujeres artistas en México y Estados Unidos), presentada en 2012 en los Estados Unidos y Canadá.
June 2, 2020
These interesting reading offers a survey of the life and work of a singularly appealing and mysterious Surrealist painter.
Varo studied painting in Madrid until the Spanish Civil War forced her to flee in 1937 when she discover Surrealist circles in Paris. After the start of World War II she took refuge in Mexico, where she remained until her death in 1963. It was in Mexico were Varo created her most enduring and subtly penetrating work. One of the three so-called “brujas” (witches) active in Mexico City. Varo shared an interest in esotericism with fellow painter Leonora Carrington and a variety of interests ranging from science and philosophy to literature of German Romanticism with the photographer Kati Horna. Many of her paintings with medieval interiors, occult workshops and androgynous figures engaged in alchemical pursuits are described here. These book also covers Varo’s role in the Mexican Surrealist movement and her relations with Luis Buñuel, Octavio Paz, Benjamin Péret, Alice Rahon, Wolfgang Paalen and many others.
Varo studied painting in Madrid until the Spanish Civil War forced her to flee in 1937 when she discover Surrealist circles in Paris. After the start of World War II she took refuge in Mexico, where she remained until her death in 1963. It was in Mexico were Varo created her most enduring and subtly penetrating work. One of the three so-called “brujas” (witches) active in Mexico City. Varo shared an interest in esotericism with fellow painter Leonora Carrington and a variety of interests ranging from science and philosophy to literature of German Romanticism with the photographer Kati Horna. Many of her paintings with medieval interiors, occult workshops and androgynous figures engaged in alchemical pursuits are described here. These book also covers Varo’s role in the Mexican Surrealist movement and her relations with Luis Buñuel, Octavio Paz, Benjamin Péret, Alice Rahon, Wolfgang Paalen and many others.
June 3, 2016
This is a beautifully produced book about an intriguing surrealist artist. The text provides a brief bio describing Remedios Varo's background and time in Mexico. The art works are well presented and mysterious enough to return to repeatedly.
June 6, 2021
Me conecté con muchos y me hubiese encantado que muestren el nombre de todas las pinturas ya que solo nombraban algunas.
April 7, 2017
Beautiful collection, excellent format.
Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews