Harmony (Suggestive Self-Portrait)

Varo had a number of interests; she was passionate about cosmogony, alchemy, magic, and astrology. She was also a follower of the teachings of Gurdjieff and his disciple Peter D. Ouspensky, who had a significant influence on the European avant-gardes throughout the first half of the twentieth century. Varo strongly believed in the necessity of producing a visionary experience suited to modern times.

Music and its essential role in artistic creation—a Pythagorean idea—were also crucial in her life. She actively participated in groups that discussed harmony and accordance as means to understand nature. Conceived as a force of destiny, music is often the driving power behind the characters portrayed in her works.

In "Harmony", a human figure threads through a three-dimensional stave composed of paper sheets, crystal polyhedra, and natural elements such as leaves, fruits, and flowers, all taken from a wooden chest. The warm, ochre tones of the furniture contrast with the cold, bluish-gray walls, from which two mysterious figures emerge to assist with the task. In Varo’s words, “the main character is trying to find the invisible thread that unites all things.”