Artist Joseph Cornell created the mixed media artwork L’Egypte De Mlle Cleo De Merode Cours in 1940. This surrealist composition features a layered display of found objects, including a broken comb, porcelain doll’s arm, and plastic rose petals beneath glass. The artwork pays homage to Cleo de Merode, a famous ballerina and femme fatale in the 1890s, incorporating Egyptian motifs such as hieroglyphics and scarabs.
Cornell was renowned for his practice of collecting ephemera and transforming these into new creations through his artworks. He utilized various materials such as wood, paper, glass, sand, doll arm, cork rock, thread bone rhinestones sequins beads tulle cut-outs and glitter to create visually stunning works like L’Egypte De Mlle Cleo De Merode Cours. The sculpture is part of a private collection that remains under copyright by The Joseph and Robert Cornell Memorial Foundation.
L’Egypte De Mlle Cleo De Merode Cours continues to captivate art enthusiasts with its intricate details that blend well with the artist’s signature surreal style. It exhibits not only aesthetic beauty but also an underlying narrative that conveys messages beyond what meets the eye. Overall this piece exemplifies how art can tell stories beyond words while utilizing various forms of mediums to create something truly unique.