News about the art | 18.jul.2012
Freddie's Flaking Fingers
Wilhelm Freddie's "The Dancer" was recently restored by the conservators.
In 1943 The Dancer was made by Freddie, who is considered the most renowned surrealist in Denmark. The work was acquired by The National Gallery of Denmark in 2011, but could not be put on display before undergoing conservation treatment.
Freddie's fascinations
The Dancer consists of a painted wooden surface, upon which 5 fingers from a mannequin are attached. Freddie often used body parts from wax mannequins in his work. Inspired by his work as a window decorator, he would orchestrate the dolls in unusual positions. The fingers in The Dancer, are representative of his erotic fascination with the female figure, as well as his fascination with death.
A complicated restoration
The paint surface on the attached fingers was flaking badly, making the work extremely fragile and difficult to move or even hold upright. The whole surface of the painting was also extremely dirty, making it difficult to see the underlying image.
Read about how the conservators restored The Dancer
The Dancer can be seen in the collection Danish and International Art After 1900
- By: Louise Cone
- 18.jul.2012
