“Farewell,” a symbolic painting created by artist Remedios Varo in 1958, manifests the aesthetic principles of Metaphysical art. Executed in oil on canvas, this artwork measures 34 x 24 cm. It stands as an embodiment of symbolic and esoteric subject matter, which is characteristic of Varo’s work and aligns with the broader interests of the Metaphysical art movement.
The artwork presents a hauntingly enigmatic scene, structured around architectural elements that are bathed in a deep, glowing red. These column-like structures dominate the canvas, giving a sense of depth and surreal confinement. We observe a figure cloaked in a trench coat and hat, reminiscent of an archetypal 20th-century traveler or perhaps a spy, walking away into the distance. The setting appears to be a labyrinth of towering shapes and shadowy recesses, suggestive of a mysterious or sacred space.
A second figure, also in a coat and hat, stands at a different archway in the background, contributing to a narrative feeling of departure or secret crossings. Along the bottom of the artwork, the floor is painstakingly detailed, resembling a winding bricked path that leads the eye through the scene’s depth. A small cat peers out from one of the shadowed alcoves formed by the columns, adding an element of life and perhaps a sense of furtiveness or watchfulness to the otherwise still and silent setting.
Overall, the artwork is imbued with symbolism, and the sense of a narrative just beyond grasp is potent. The use of deep reds and the meticulous attention to the textural details create an atmosphere that is at once both inviting and disquieting, a hallmark of the profound psychological undertone often explored within the Metaphysical art movement.
