Originally titled Music of Light, this surrealist painting by Spanish artist Remedios Varo (1908-1963) is about artistic inspiration and creative process, a theme to which Varo would return again and again in her works. The artwork’s central figure is some kind of a forest nymph wearing a grassy cloak and making music with a bow using the sun’s rays. The music she produces affects crystal casings that enclose birds, freeing them from their little prisons. The artist wanted to emphasise the liberating nature of art-making, and the fact that nature functions as a source of divine energy for the artist, imbuing her with mystical qualities needed to produce great works of art.
The painting is considered one of Varo’s masterpieces. It is largely brown-coloured, and the forest vegetation was rendered using a technique known as “blotting” (pressing absorbent materials with wet paint on a surface). Still, Varo painted meticulously the face of a nymph and the revived flowers, that now benefit from the sun’s energy and the musician’s gift. Here is how Janet A. Kaplan characterised the painting: “Through the conjunction of natural light, musical vibration, and the intervention of the artist’s touch, transformation is effected“, Unexpected Journeys: The Art and Life of Remedios Varo, Abbeville Press, 1988. Remedios Varo was a unique artist who saw clearly the symbolism of alchemical transformations in our daily life, and wanted to underline our innate interconnectedness. In Solar Music, the artist strikes at the very heart of the mystery of creative potential and work, linking the creative power to our connection to the natural world.
Thoughts on Papyrus 
How interesting! I loved reading this and getting to know this painting and the artist more through what you’ve shared. I definitely want to check out more by Remedios Varo, especially because I really appreciate what you shared how she “saw clearly the symbolism of alchemical transformations in our daily life, and wanted to underline our innate interconnectedness.” Thank you for sharing this!
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Thanks for this lovely comment. Varo has many intriguing works of art, and they are so inspirational. I talked about some of them here – Paintings of Remedios Varo I – Thoughts on Papyrus and here – Paintings of Remedios Varo II – Thoughts on Papyrus, if you are interested, and am already preparing the third “instalment”.
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I absolutely adore Remedios Varo. I was very fortunate to see a few of her works “in the flesh” which is not easy, because there are no large collections of her. Coincidentally, I just put of her works in a draft post. (Works I saw in Buenos Aires.) Coming up soon…
Au revoir.
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It must have been incredible seeing some of her work up close. I am looking forward to reading your post.
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Absolutely. It’s like Brueghel who I like very much. I finally got to see several of his paintings “in the flesh” in Vienna last year… Quite moving. (Working on the post. Draft almost done, but it might be a while till I post, I have a few other posts lined up.
Cheers
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Beautiful! Thank you for sharing this.
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Isn’t it? Thank you for reading!
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An ethereal depiction of The Forest and, its role in The Creative Process and the ideal state of harmony between artist and the creatures of The Forest…. I don’t know if people know this or believe it, but if you whistle back a good tune for the birds it blows their mind🕊️
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