Birthday by Dorothea Tanning

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Birthday
Source: Philadelphia Museum of Art
It’s hard to define Surrealist art because each and every Surrealist artist had an incredibly unique style. Yet, even so, American Surrealist Dorothea Tanning had an approach to art that was singular, even by Surrealist standards. Like many artists of her cohort, Tanning lived an incredible life. She lived to the age of 101, living through both World Wars and a number of other world-changing events. Tanning continued to create art until the end of her life, producing paintings, sculptures, and writings, including poetry.

Her self-portrait entitled Birthday is one of her most famous paintings, and it is often cited as the first example of Tanning’s Surrealist style. The painting made Tanning’s work famous after it was chosen by painter Max Ernst to be included in an exhibition of work by female painters.

The piece shows Tanning in a strange costume that seems to be growing out of her body. A strange, furry animal stands at her feet as she rests her hand on a door knob. Behind her, a series of endless doors opening on to endless rooms dominates the canvas. According to my research, she was inspired to create the painting after being inspired by the doors in her apartment, noting “I had been struck, one day, by a fascinating array of doors—hall, kitchen, bathroom, studio—crowded together, soliciting my attention with their antic planes, light, shadows, imminent openings and shuttings. From there it was an easy leap to a dream of countless doors.”

Like many of Tanning’s paintings, the piece contains a dream-like landscape that is both ambiguous and emotionally charged. While the painted version of Tanning wears a sombre expression, it is belied by the labyrinth of doors behind her, which symbolize endless opportunities and futures, all unfolding. This landscape is also reminiscent of the mind itself, marking the infinite routes that imagination can follow. Standing at the first door, Tanning’s form gives the viewer a sense of anticipation, the feeling that something magical and exciting is about to begin.

Disclaimer: I’m not an art historian or an expert on this topic. The above is my opinion, based on my interpretation of my foreknowledge of art and history. If I’ve done any additional research, I’ll note it above.

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