Untitled from the portfolio “Le regard vertical”

Lam’s collaborations with poets and writers played an important role in the development of his graphic work, beginning with his illustrations for André Bretón’s book of poems "Fata Morgana" (1942). Indeed, his interest in the expressive and symbolic character of visual language resonated with the poetic experiments of his contemporaries throughout his career. For the portfolio "Le Regard Vertical", Lam created six lithographs to accompany a selection of poems by the French poets Christian Guez, Jean Joubert, and Dominique Agostini. The present print features Lam’s signature "femme-cheval" (horse-headed woman), a hybrid figure evolved from both Surrealism and Santería symbology. More recognizably equine here than in other incarnations, she embodies transformative and supernatural power, her features rendered with graphic intensity.

This text was created in collaboration with the University of Maryland Department of Art History & Archaeology and written by Patricia Ortega-Miranda.