Toyen

We authenticate, certify, issue certificates of authenticity (COA), appraise the value and broker the sale of paintings, prints, and drawings by TOYEN.

Czech (formerly Czechoslovakian)

Born: 1902, Prague, Austria-Hungary (now Czech Republic).

Died: 1980, Paris, France, aged 78.

She spent most of her life in Czechoslovakia, where she was an important figure in the Surrealist movement. TOYEN (born Marie Čermínová) also briefly lived in Paris, where she spent the later years of her life.

Typical Subject Matter:

TOYEN typically painted surreal landscapes, dreamlike figures, and abstract forms. Her works often explored psychological states, the unconscious mind, eroticism, identity, and mystery. She also painted still lifes, enigmatic portraits, and mythological themes. Her imagery often transformed everyday objects into surreal, disorienting contexts.

Her art frequently focused on strange and often unsettling representations of the body, especially the female form, and was imbued with fantasy and metaphysical symbolism.

Typical Style:

TOYEN is renowned for her contribution to Surrealism, known for seamlessly blending dreamlike and real elements. Her work includes distorted figures, strange juxtapositions, and ambiguous, fluid shapes. Her visual language often features androgynous or faceless figures, inviting open interpretation.

Her landscapes are abstract, hallucinatory, and organic, rendered in soft, blended colours like deep greens, blues, and ochres. TOYEN alternated between figurative and abstract styles, sometimes combining both. Her brushwork varied from soft transitions to fine, detailed lines. Her drawings and monochromatic works frequently employed bold dark outlines for contrast.

Typical Material and Media:

TOYEN primarily worked in oil on canvas. She also used watercolours, ink, and gouache. In addition to painting, she produced graphic works including lithographs and woodcuts on paper. Her illustrations further demonstrate her versatility and technical precision across various media.

If you own a painting, a print, or a drawing by or attributed to Toyen, we would like to learn about it. Please send us photos or contact us at [email protected]. You will generally receive a response within 24 hours.