Maureen Carrington, wife to the successful 'textile tycoon', Harold Wilde Carrington, was prone to delusions of grandeur all her life. She announced to all who would listen that she was connected to royalty, as well as famous writers, like James Joyce. After the birth of three sons (Patrick, Gerald and Arthur), she held certain expectations of her only daughter, Leonora. Raised to be a dignified, and proper, young lady, it was hoped that she might go on to marry aristocracy. She had other ideas.
Leonora had an enthusiasm for rebellion from an early age. Following her expulsion from a number of the best schools in England, she discovered a more positive channel for her energies - an avid love of art. In pursuit of her passion, she broke away from an unsupportive family.
In 1937, Carrington met surrealist artist, Max Ernst, at a dinner party. Despite the age difference, he had charisma, talent, and her parents completely disapproved. They immediately became lovers. As their relationship endured, their artistic talent excelled. After moving to Paris with Ernst, and being introduced to André Breton ('leader' of the Parisian Surrealists), Carrington was welcomed by the movement. It was during this time that her personal style really began to flourish.
The 'Portrait of Max Ernst' displays some interesting contradictions. There are those who look at this canvas and see a depiction of the dark side of love. Ernst striding across a desolate wasteland holds a horse trapped in a lantern, whilst another is frozen in the background. The horse can be seen throughout Carrington's portfolio of work - it is her other side (free and animalistic). Therefore one could look at this composition as a reference to the power Ernst holds over his 'femme enfant' - a role of muse that Carrington could not abide. In later life she certainly expressed a belief that Ernst had a certain sort of ownership over her. Personally I prefer an alternative reading. One that interprets this painting as a role reversal of such conventional surrealist values. Ernst adorned in hot red feathers, and a tail fin has access to the realms of air and sea. His inspiration alone can make Carrington's imagination take flight.
Nevertheless life was good, but things were changing. The world was heading for war, and the couple's happiness could not last much longer. As World War II began, Ernst was interred as an illegal alien. Carrington had a nervous breakdown following his departure. Her recovery in a mental asylum was arduous, but even after she had recovered, her parents were keen to keep her locked up and under their rule. Her escape came in the form of a foreign diplomat, who offered Carrington her freedom through marriage. Breton revelled in Carrington's return, and the artistic potential that could follow. The surrealists believed that the art of the 'insane' expressed something real and untampered. Carrington, alone, had experienced the mental abyss.
