“Premonition” is an artwork created by Remedios Varo in 1953, exemplifying the Surrealism art movement. This symbolic painting captures viewers’ imaginations with its dream-like and otherworldly mise-en-scène, a hallmark of Surrealist art.
The artwork presents a scene that appears both archaic and fantastical. A trio of cloaked figures anchors the composition at the forefront, emanating a sense of solemnity or meditation. These figures, with their elongated, spectral forms, are engaged in an enigmatic process, weaving or spinning with threads that extend to and intertwine with the complex machinery dominating the right side of the canvas.
This machinery, reminiscent of an elaborate loom or a fantastical contraption from an alchemist’s laboratory, consists of wheels, spindles, and thread that seem to harness a mysterious energy. Balls at the end of long poles rise above the machine, reaching into the expansive space above and seemingly defying the gravity that bounds ordinary objects.
Behind the figures and machinery, rising towers or spires punctuate the landscape, positioned against a cosmic backdrop that features an array of stars or celestial bodies. The floor is a checkerboard pattern, contributing a sense of both order and illusion to the enigmatic setting. One can observe a depth in the artwork that invites the viewer into this mystical space, suggesting there may be hidden realms of interpretation and significance lying beneath the surface.
In its totality, “Premonition” embodies not only the aesthetic principles of Surrealism but also invokes a profound contemplation of the unknown, the unseen forces of the universe, and the threads that connect our material world to the vast mysteries beyond our immediate comprehension.
