“Self-Portrait (Inn of the Dawn Horse)” is an artwork by the surrealist artist Leonora Carrington, created between 1937 and 1938. This self-portrait, categorized under the genre of symbolic painting, is housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (Met) in New York City, NY, US. The artwork is intricately associated with the Surrealism art movement, reflecting the imaginative and fantastical elements characteristic of this genre.
In the artwork, a young woman, presumably Leonora Carrington herself, sits on a blue and red chair with an expression of determination on her face. She is dressed in a green jacket over a red shirt and white breeches, paired with black shoes. Her long, dark hair blows as if caught in an unseen wind, adding to the dreamlike quality of the scene. A small hyena stands to her left, its stance and gaze inquisitive and enigmatic. Behind her, a cream-colored horse with an aerial position defies the laws of physics, enhancing the painting’s surreal narrative. The background features a window draped with yellow curtains that reveal a white horse galloping freely in a verdant landscape. The floor is a rich, reddish-brown tile, grounding the otherworldly elements in a palpable setting. The overall composition weaves together personal symbolism and surrealist motifs, inviting viewers into the artist’s introspective and fantastical world.
