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Bridget Tichenor (1917-1990) The Dream of the Chrysalis
Details
Signed with the artist’s monogram (a stylized four-petaled flower/cross) in the lower right foreground.
Sizes:
Frame: 44.5 × 54 cm | 17.5 × 21.3 in
Artwork: 30 × 40.5 cm | 11.8 × 15.9 in
This enigmatic oil on canvas is a profound example of Bridget Bate Tichenor’s unique brand of Magic Realism. The composition depicts a recumbent figure wrapped in a red, ornate shroud, lying upon a green plinth in a desolate, mountainous landscape. Above the figure, three ethereal, comet-like heads with trailing white veils descend from a dark, brooding sky. Scattered in the foreground are broken eggshells and a large sea snail, classic surrealist symbols of birth, fragility, and the subconscious.
Tichenor’s technique is meticulous, often utilizing fine brushes to achieve a visionary, dreamlike clarity. Her work frequently explores themes of metamorphosis, ancient mythology, and the occult. This painting reflects her deep connection to the Mexican Surrealist circle, which included Leonora Carrington and Remedios Varo, yet maintains her distinctively somber and aristocratic aesthetic.
Condition Report
Excellent vintage condition; stable paint surface with fine, deliberate textures; original canvas on a wooden stretcher; housed in a period-style carved dark wood frame.
Authenticity & Buyer Information
This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification and is covered by our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale. The guarantee concerns authorship; it does not extend to provenance, dating, condition or value, which are described to the best of our knowledge.
Buyers should review the catalogue carefully and raise any questions before bidding; additional information is not ordinarily provided after the auction.
5-Year Authenticity Guarantee
Five years on authorship for works catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification (Section 4 of our Conditions of Sale); headings such as “Attributed to” or “Circle of” are sold as described.
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Questions about this lot
How does the estimate compare with the artist’s recent auction results?
The estimate of €10,000–€20,000 is our opinion of the range this work should reach; the starting price of €8,000 is the lowest bid we accept. We have not published comparable results for this lot; ask us before the sale and we will send the results we based the estimate on.
What will this lot cost in total?
Bidding on this site, the buyer’s premium is 25%, Spanish IVA included, and there is no VAT on the hammer price and no card fee: at the starting price of €8,000 the total is €10,000; at the low estimate of €10,000 the total is €12,500; at the high estimate of €20,000 the total is €25,000.
Through LiveAuctioneers, Invaluable, Drouot or Bidspirit the premium is 30%, so the same hammer of €20,000 costs €26,000 there. Shipping and insurance are quoted separately; the estimator on this page gives the figure for your country. Buyers outside the EU pay no Spanish tax on the lot; the destination’s import rules apply (United States: original paintings and drawings enter duty-free; United Kingdom: 5% import VAT on art). Card payments are accepted up to €10,000; larger amounts by bank transfer.
Is the attribution covered by the Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee?
Yes. This lot is catalogued under the artist’s name without qualification, so it carries our Five-Year Authenticity Guarantee under Section 4 of the Conditions of Sale: if the authorship proves materially incorrect, you may return the work within five years for a refund of the purchase price. The guarantee concerns authorship; provenance, dating, condition and value are described to the best of our knowledge and are not guaranteed.
Can I see the condition report, more photographs or the work itself?
A condition report with ultraviolet photographs is prepared on request, normally within two working days; the condition summary on this page is examined in-house and is not a conservator’s report. Further photographs of any detail, the reverse or the frame are sent on request. The work can be examined in our Barcelona showroom by appointment before the sale, and you are welcome to send your own conservator or specialist.
Bridget Tichenor
Bridget Bate Tichenor was a central figure in the mid-century Surrealist movement in Mexico. Born into the British aristocracy and educated in Europe, she was a celebrated fashion editor for Vogue in New York before moving to Mexico in 1953. There, she fully dedicated herself to her painting, creating a body of work characterized by its esoteric symbolism and technical precision.
Her legacy is celebrated for its contribution to international Surrealism, with her works increasingly sought after by major museums and private collectors globally.
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