Leaf, Feather, Drop of Blood

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Artist André Masson (French, 1896–1987)

Title Leaf, Feather, Drop of Blood (Feuille, Plumes et Goutte de Sang)

Date 1927

Medium Oil and feather on canvas

Dimensions Framed: 26 3/4 × 33 × 2 1/8 in. (67.9 × 83.8 × 5.4 cm)
Stretcher: 25 5/8 x 31 15/16 in. (65.1 x 81.1 cm)

Credit Line Gift of Mr. and Mrs. G. David Thompson, Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 62.141

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About this Work

André Masson played an important role in the development of Surrealism in France. The sense of tactility and reference to the abject (i.e., blood) in Leaf, Feather, Drop of Blood reflect Surrealism’s preoccupation with the body, especially with the erotic. On the other hand, its calligraphic lines reference the fashion for “automatic,” that is spontaneous or automatic, drawing, which in Surrealist circles was thought to tap into the artist’s subconscious.

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Provenance research is ongoing for this and many other items in the Eskenazi Museum of Art permanent collection. For more information about the provenance of this artwork, please contact the department curator with specific questions.

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"Leaf, Feather, Drop of Blood | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2024. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=62.141