RENAISSANCE MAGIC AND ALCHEMY IN THE WORKS OF FEMALE SURREALIST REMEDIOS VARO ____________ A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of California State University, Dominguez Hills ____________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in Humanities ____________ by Tammy M. Ngo Fall 2019 THESIS: RENAISSANCE MAGIC AND ALCHEMY IN THE WORKS OF FEMALE SURREALIST REMEDIOS VARO AUTHOR: TAMMY M. NGO APPROVED: ______________________________ Patricia Gamon, Ph.D Thesis Committee Chair ______________________________ Kirstin Ellsworth, Ph.D Committee Member ______________________________ Kimberly Bohman-Kalaja, Ph.D Committee Member Dedicated to Professor Lawrence Klepper ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS I would like to express my special thanks of gratitude to my advisor Professor Patricia Gamon, Ph.D., Humanities, Art History. In addition, to my family and friends who supported me during my thesis research, thank you. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS .......................................................................................................... IV TABLE OF CONTENTS ................................................................................................................ V LIST OF FIGURES ...................................................................................................................... VI ABSTRACT .................................................................................................................................... X 1. INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................................1 2. SURREALISM ....................................................................................................................... 10 3. WOMEN SURREALISTS ..................................................................................................... 19 4. REMEDIOS VARO ................................................................................................................ 30 Before Mexico ...................................................................................................................31 After Mexico ......................................................................................................................38 5. MAGIC, ALCHEMY, AND THE ART OF THE RENAISSANCE...................................... 44 6. RENAISSANCE MAGIC AND ALCHEMY IN THE WORKS OF REMEDIOS VARO ... 90 Harmony ............................................................................................................................90 Creation of Birds ..............................................................................................................118 Still Life Reviving............................................................................................................137 7. CHAPTER 7 CONCLUSION................................................................................................148 WORKS CITED ..........................................................................................................................153 v LIST OF FIGURES 1. Jean Arp, Untitled (Collage with Squares Arranged according to the Laws of Chance), 1917....................................................................................................................................12 2. Hannah Höch, Cut with the Dada Kitchen Knife through the Last Weimar Beer-Belly Cultural Epoch, 1919 .........................................................................................................13 3. André Masson, Birth of Birds, 1925 ..................................................................................15 4. Giorgio de Chirico, Mystery and Melancholy of a Street, 1914 ........................................16 5. René Magritte, The Empire of Light II, 1950.....................................................................16 6. Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory, 1931..............................................................18 7. L’Ecriture Automatique, 1927 ...........................................................................................23 8. Salvador Dalí, The Great Masturbator, 1929–1932 ..........................................................24 9. Man Ray, Erotique Voilée, 1933 ........................................................................................24 10. Leonora Carrington, Self-Portrait, 1938 ............................................................................26 11. Frida Kahlo, The Broken Column, 1944 ............................................................................28 12. Remedios Varo, The Encounter, 1959 ...............................................................................29 13. Remedios Varo, 1908–1963...............................................................................................30 14. Remedios Varo, Untitled, pencil drawing..........................................................................32 15. Remedios Varo, Rabbit, 1923 ............................................................................................33 16. Remedios Varo, Souls of the Mountains, 1938 ..................................................................36 17. Remedios Varo, Souvenir of Valkyrie, 1938 ......................................................................37 18. Remedios Varo, Insomnia, 1947 ........................................................................................40 19. Remedios Varo, Eyes on a Table, 1938 .............................................................................40 20. Remedios Varo, The Useless Science or the Alchemist, 1955 ...........................................42 21. Masaccio, The Expulsion of Adam and Eve, 1424–1427 ...................................................46 22. Donatello, David, 1440–1460 ............................................................................................47 vi 23. Masaccio, The Tribute Money, 1425..................................................................................49 24. Raphael, School of Athens, 1509........................................................................................49 25. Jan van Eyck, Arnolfini Portrait, 1434 ..............................................................................50 26. Alchemy Equipment ..........................................................................................................57 27. Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, 1490–1500 ....................................64 28. Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, External Panel ..............................66 29. Hieronymus Bosch, The Garden of Earthly Delights, Central Panel ................................70 30. Alembic Device .................................................................................................................70 31. Egg 1, The Garden of Earthly Delights .............................................................................71 32. Egg 2, The Garden of Earthly Delights .............................................................................71 33. Egg 3, The Garden of Earthly Delights .............................................................................71 34. Alchemical Retort ..............................................................................................................72 35. Athanor Furnace.................................................................................................................72 36. Bride and Groom, The Garden of Earthly Delights ...........................................................73 37. Albrecht Dürer, Silverpoint Self-Portrait, 1484 ................................................................75 38. Albrecht Dürer, Melencolia I, 1514 ...................................................................................76 39. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Tower of Babel, 1568 .........................................................80 40. Pieter Bruegel the Elder, The Alchemist, 1558 ..................................................................83 41. Lorenzo Costa the Elder, Expedition of Argonauts, 1484–90 ...........................................85 42. Naldini, Allegory of Dreams, 1537–91 ..............................................................................86 43. Remedios Varo, Harmony, 1956 .......................................................................................91 44. Leon Battista Alberti, Basilica of Sant’ Andrea, 1472–1790, Exterior .............................92 45. Leon Battista Alberti, Basilica of Sant’ Andrea, 1472–1790, Interior ..............................92 46. Jean Miélot at His Desk .....................................................................................................93 47. Antonello da Messina, Saint Jerome in His Study, 1475 ...................................................94 vii 48. Albrecht Dürer, Saint Jerome in His Study, 1514 ..............................................................95 49. Detail of Harmony .............................................................................................................99 50. Bezoar Stones...................................................................................................................101 51. Hortus Sanitatis, Strassburg, c. 1507 ...............................................................................101 52. Seedling Mandrake ..........................................................................................................103 53. Remedios Varo,