Tanning, Dorothea (b. 1910)

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Tanning, Dorothea (b. 1910)

American artist. Name variations: Dorothea Tanning Ernst. Born 1910 in Galesburg, Illinois; attended Knox College and Art Institute of Chicago; m. Max Ernst (artist), 1946 (died 1976).

Surrealist painter, graphic artist and sculptor, moved to New York (1936); became part of surrealist circle of artists; also appeared in surrealist film Dreams That Money Can Buy (1944–46); exhibited her work at Julian Levy Gallery and created scenery and costume designs for Ballet Russe de Monte Carlo and New York City Ballet; included in exhibition "31 Women" at Art of This Century (1943); on marriage, moved to Sedona, Arizona (1946), then established permanent residency in France (1952); became highly acclaimed throughout Europe where she was given a retrospective exhibition at Centre National d'Art Contemporain in France (1974); on death of husband, returned to NY (1976); at 90, enjoyed 1st one-woman exhibition in US when the Philadelphia Museum of Art presented "Dorothea Tanning: Birthday and Beyond" (2000–01); works include Children's Games (1942), Hotel du Pavot (1942), Max in a Blue Boat (1946), Eine Kleine Nachtmusik (1946), The Great Room (1950–52), Interior with Sudden Joy (1951) and Family Portrait (1954).

See also Women in World History.