The artwork titled “Malaria” was created by the artist Remedios Varo in 1947. This symbolic painting, which employs gouache on cardboard, is a piece associated with the Surrealism movement. It measures 25.5 x 21 cm and is part of a private collection.
“Malaria” presents a powerful and eerie representation of its namesake disease, which is historically transmitted by mosquitos. Dominated by shades of greens and grays that mimic a misty, jungle-like environment, the focal point of the artwork is an oversized mosquito at its center. The insect’s exaggerated size and central placement emphasize the threat and impact of malaria, as it was a grave concern and the subject of much attention during the time the artwork was created.
Surrounding the mosquito are dense, lush plants, which add to the overall atmosphere of an impenetrable, humid, and dangerous environment wherein such a disease would thrive. It is an encapsulation of fear and the invisible, looming presence of illness. The artistic technique used creates a dreamlike, almost otherworldly scene, fitting the surrealistic goals of juxtaposing the ordinary with the extraordinary to elicit a thoughtful and emotional response from the viewer.
