Stay up to date with notifications from The Independent

Notifications can be managed in browser preferences.

Surrealist hands set to fetch five-digit price

Dalya Alberge
Saturday 05 February 1994 00:02 GMT
Comments

Your support helps us to tell the story

From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.

At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.

The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.

Your support makes all the difference.

A PAIR of furry hands with wooden fingers and painted nails (right), one of the ultimate Surrealist objects, is to be sold for an estimated pounds 30,000 by Christie's in Zurich on 11 April, writes Dalya Alberge.

The werewolf-like gloves were made in 1934 by Meret Oppenheim (1913-85), the Swiss artist known among Parisian Surrealists as the 'fairy woman'. She was encouraged by artists such as Jean Arp and Alberto Giacometti to exhibit her work with them. In the 1930s, she made her name with everyday utensils made of fur and leather. Her Fur Tea Cup, now in the Museum of Modern Art in New York, was inspired by a visit to the Cafe de Flore in Paris with Dora Maar and Pablo Picasso, who commented that anything could be covered in fur.

The hands come from the collection of Carl Fredrik Reutersward, who organised the first major Oppenheim exhibition in Stockholm in 1967. It was as late as 1984, at the artist's last exhibition, that Oppenheim decided to add the wooden fingers with painted nails.

(Photograph omitted)

Join our commenting forum

Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies

Comments

Thank you for registering

Please refresh the page or navigate to another page on the site to be automatically logged inPlease refresh your browser to be logged in