Search results
Méret Oppenheim was a German-born Swiss Surrealist artist and photographer who created Object (Breakfast in Fur), a teacup, saucer and spoon covered with fur. She was influenced by Carl Jung, Paul Klee, and other Surrealist artists, and explored themes of sexuality, femininity, and death in her work.
Meret (or Méret) Elisabeth Oppenheim (6 October 1913 – 15 November 1985) was a German-born Swiss Surrealist artist and photographer. Wikidata Q61594
Oct 2, 2024 · Learn about Meret Oppenheim, a German-born Swiss Surrealist artist who created Object, a fur-covered teacup, saucer, and spoon. Explore her life, works, influences, and legacy in this comprehensive article.
- Summary of Meret Oppenheim
- Accomplishments
- Biography of Meret Oppenheim
- GeneratedCaptionsTabForHeroSec
Meret Oppenheim's notebook from high school math class contains the following equation: "X= an Orange Rabbit". André Breton (the pope of Surrealism) loved this so much he published the whole notebook. With the looks of a Hollywood film star, and the brain of a mad scientist, Oppenheim managed to persuade the Surrealists to allow her to join their c...
Of all the Surrealists, she took Breton's call "to hound the mad beast of function" most literally. Her sculptures repurpose household objects intended to serve one function and suggest another, us...Oppenheim was the only Surrealist who had any authority on psychoanalysis. Born into a family of Swiss analysts, Oppenheim was steeped in psychoanalytic theory and followed the teachings of Carl Gu...Oppenheim's work with the fashion industry helped break down the barriers between fine art and fashion. The line of Surrealist gloves she designed for the high-end clothier Elsa Schiaparelli (who w...Although Oppenheim is normally aligned with Surrealism, her daring use of found objects is straight-up Dada. She is a key transitional figure, linking the two movements.Childhood
Oppenheim grew up in Switzerland in a progressive, intellectual family. Her grandmother was active in the Swiss women's rights movement, and her aunt encouraged her to collect prints by Paul Klee, an important early influence on the young artist. Oppenheim's father was a psychoanalyst. At his recommendation, she recorded her dreams (which, according to psychoanalytic theory, provide insight into the unconscious) as a teenager and continued this practice for the rest of her life. The Surrealis...
Early Period
Oppenheim enrolled in art classes at the Paris Académie de la Grande Chaumière, and quickly ascended in Surrealist circles, befriending Picasso, Giacometti and Arp, artists twice her age. She exhibited with them at the Salon des Surindépendants. In 1933, she exhibited her first sculpture, the bronze Giacometti's Ear(1933), a turning point in Oppenheim's career and a breakthrough for the Surrealists, who so far had not allowed women to participate as artists. In turn, she served as muse and mo...
Middle Period
Oppenheim's middle years were turbulent. Low self-esteem and debilitating depression prevented her from making work for a period for 18 months in 1937. She went back to art school in Basel and began working through the depression and insecurity she felt in a male-dominated art world by making art about it. In Stone Woman(1938), a female body is half in the water and half out of the water, and literally turning into stone, or vice-versa, depending on how you look at it. It was a key transition...
Learn about Meret Oppenheim, a Swiss artist who created surrealist objects and paintings with teacups, fur, high heels and other domestic items. Explore her biography, ideas, accomplishments and important artworks.
- Swiss
- October 6, 1913
- Berlin-Charlottenburg, Germany
- November 15, 1985
A Surrealist sculpture of a teacup, saucer, and spoon covered with gazelle fur, created by Meret Oppenheim in 1936. Learn about the story behind this iconic work, its impact, and its artist at The Museum of Modern Art.
- 11 West 53 Street, New York, NY 10019
Learn about the furry tea service that became a Surrealist icon, created by the Swiss artist Meret Oppenheim in 1936. Explore the story behind its creation, its symbolic meaning, and its impact on modern art.
People also ask
Who is Meret Oppenheim?
What is a Meret Oppenheim object?
What did Meret Oppenheim joke about?
When did Meret Oppenheim receive the Art Award?
How big is a Meret Oppenheim tea cup?
Did Meret Oppenheim make a fountain?
Oct 30, 2022 · A retrospective of the Swiss artist's innovative and witty works, from fur-lined teacup to bronze sculptures. See nearly 200 artworks that challenge the boundaries of art and life, on display at MoMA from October 2022 to March 2023.
