Specter of the Gardenia

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Artist Marcel Jean (French, 1900–1993)

Title Specter of the Gardenia (Le spectre du gardénia)

Date 1972 edition (after 1936 original)

Medium Mixed media

Dimensions Overall: 13 3/8 x 7 1/8 x 8 1/2 in. (34 x 18.1 x 21.6 cm)

Credit Line Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University

Accession Number 72.122

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About this Work

In 1933, Marcel Jean joined the circle of Surrealist artists in Paris. This work taps into the Surrealists’ interest in the fantastic and the subconscious. A plaster model that Jean covered in black wool powder, this head has zippered eyes and a filmstrip collar. The tactility of the materials evokes the eroticism seen in much Surrealist art.

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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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"Specter of the Gardenia | Collections Online." Collections Online. Sidney and Lois Eskenazi Museum of Art, Indiana University, 2025. https://artmuseum.indiana.edu/collections-online/browse/object.php?number=72.122