Unveiling Sympathy: The Surreal World of Remedios Varo’s Masterpiece

Sympathy is an intriguing artwork by Catalan artist Remedios Varo. It depicts a woman with a cat in a surreal and extraordinary environment. You’ll spot a small, yet impactful river formed by spilled water, electrical sparks, and a concealed creature with three tails. Discover the narrative behind this enchanting piece.

A Surreal Perspective of a Cat Lady

What do we see here? A seemingly ordinary domestic scene that, while not as fantastical as some of Remedios Varo’s (1908-1963) other works, still draws us in with the vibrant energy created by the bond between the woman and her cat. We witness a tender yet powerful moment as a cat leaps onto the table, knocking over a glass of water and creating a capricious puddle on the floor.

The woman conveys warmth and kindness—aptly reflected in the title—through her affectionate acceptance and soft touch. This gentle connection generates vibrant sparks of energy between her and the cat, radiating throughout the room.

Remedios Varo harbored a great fondness for cats; her Surrealist persona even took the form of a feline. Might this piece be a dual self-portrait? The resemblance between the cat’s features and the woman’s raises intriguing questions about the essence of their identities and whether the sparks of connection transcend the ordinary realm.

Sympathy stands as one of the 171 works Varo created during her relatively brief life. It is an exceptional piece, crafted in Mexico City in 1955, and exhibited in the group show Seis pintoras (Six Painters) at Galería Diana, located on one of Mexico City’s most significant boulevards—Paseo de la Reforma 489. During this exhibition, she also presented four additional small pieces. This marked the onset of a prolific era, transforming her into a recognized and sought-after artist. By the time of her passing in 1963, she had created over 100 artworks.

Following a decade of mundane commercial endeavors—ranging from sewing and ceramics restoration to drafting advertisements for pharmaceutical companies and technical drawings for the Ministry of Public Health—Varo finally found her pace and solace for creating, largely thanks to her partner, Austrian refugee Walter Gruen Berger.

Varo predominantly painted using canvas and Masonite, working diligently in her studio in Colonia Roma, Mexico City. Her approach was meticulous, utilizing extremely fine brushes that included literally a single hair, often requiring months to complete a single piece. She often employed a technique favored by many Surrealists called decalcomania. In this process, ink or paint is applied to a surface and then covered with materials like paper, glass, or aluminum foil while still wet. Upon removal, the resulting pattern can be further embellished. This technique is evident, for instance, in how the water from the knocked-over glass spills into a chaotic and oversized puddle.

This painting reflects one of the more personal and tranquil works by Remedios Varo, subtly infused with hints of Surrealism (notably the three hairy tails lurking below the table), yet brimming with a myriad of vivid emotions. In Sympathy, Varo captures and reveals the magical realism in the everyday moments of life, not just the encounter of a woman with her cat.

Obsessed with Remedios Varo

Following the global admiration for the iconic Mexican painter Frida Kahlo, there is a growing interest in other female artists connected to Mexico, including Remedios Varo, Leonora Carrington, Kati Horna, and Alice Rahon.

Varo’s artwork has been showcased in numerous international exhibitions, including solo shows in the USA, UK, France, Spain, Germany, and Denmark over the past few years. Notable monographic exhibitions were organized by the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington DC with The Magic of Remedios Varo in 2000, followed by the Mexican Fine Arts Museum in Chicago featuring her art. In Mexico City, the Museum of Modern Art hosted two well-received exhibits: Remedios Varo. Apuntes y anécdotas de una colección and Adictos a Remedios Varo: Nuevo legado 2018, the latter attracting an impressive 190,000 visitors during its exhibit.

It’s worthwhile to note that early in her career, Varo’s pieces were displayed in Paris, New York, and Tokyo (with works in the 1936 Surrealist objects exhibition at Gallerie Charles Ratton in Paris; the 1936 Fantastic Art, Dada & Surrealism show organized by the Museum of Modern Art in New York; and the 1937 Surrealisme exhibition in Tokyo). Varo’s art captivated a diverse range of audiences. As many fell under her spell (with remedio translating to “medicine” or “solution” in Spanish), they were introduced to her unique interpretation of Latin American magical realism.

Varo’s creations grace the collections of museums worldwide, including The Museum of Modern Art in New York; Centre Pompidou in Paris; the National Museum of Women in the Arts in Washington D.C.; and the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia in Madrid, among others.