The artwork titled “Untitled (Bebe Marie)” was created by the artist Joseph Cornell in the year 1940. As an exemplar of the Surrealist movement, the artwork defies traditional categorization, and as an installation piece, it exists in three dimensions, specifically measuring 23 3/8 x 12 5/16 x 5 1/4 inches. Presently, the artwork is housed in the prestigious collection of The Museum of Modern Art in New York.
The artwork features a solitary doll’s face peering out from behind an intricate lattice of twigs and branches, which creates a dense, forest-like effect. This assemblage is contained within a box, which serves as a boundary between the artwork and the external world, a common device used by Cornell to create a microcosm of his own making. The choice of materials and the enclosed nature of the presentation are evocative of Cornell’s signature style, where found objects are transformed into enigmatic tableaux. The wear on the doll’s face and the natural elements suggest themes of entrapment, decay, and the jarring juxtaposition of childhood innocence with darker, mysterious forces at play. The amalgamation of these elements within a confined space provokes the viewer to engage with the piece on a deeper, subconscious level, resonating with the fundamental principles of Surrealism.
