10 Facts to Know About Dorothea Tanning

In a career spanning over seven decades, Dorothea Tanning experimented with mediums such as painting, sculpture, printmaking, and writing. Her signature dreamlike and often unsettling imagery dove deep into the realms of fantasy and subconscious, reflecting her fascination with the human psyche and the complexities of the inner world. Having collaborated with many influential contemporary artists, Tanning left a mark in the art world.

1. She had humble origins

Dorothea Tanning was born on August 25, 1910, in Galesburg, Illinois. She was the second of three daughters in a working-class family. The Tannings were originally from Sweden before they moved to the United States. Her father harbored dreams of becoming a cowboy in the American West, while her mother, a fantasist, dressed her daughters in taffeta and silk. Galesburg, a city with strict Lutheran values, shaped the family’s devoutly religious life. Despite their piety, Tanning’s parents remained dreamers at heart. This mix of rigid religiosity and whimsical fantasy later influenced Tanning’s surreal imaginaries.

2. Dorothea Tanning was a bookworm and an art lover from early on

As a child and adult, Dorothea Tanning was a devoted bookworm. She read Lewis Carroll, Hans Christian Andersen, and other gothic and romantic novels. These books, filled with vivid imagery, influenced her artistic style and subjects for many years. After school, she worked at the local public library. Her fascination with art led her to enroll at Knox College, the closest liberal arts institution. Although Knox did not offer art classes, Tanning contributed illustrations to the school magazine. She also painted and drew in her spare time.

3. She was a self-taught artist

In 1930, Dorothea Tanning moved to Chicago, where she worked as a hostess in a restaurant to support herself. While there, she attended night classes at the Art Institute of Chicago for three weeks. Despite this brief formal education, Tanning was primarily self-taught. She immersed herself in the art world by frequenting museums and galleries and letting them guide her work.

Tanning’s keen observations and experiences in these spaces helped her develop a unique style. Her self-directed learning approach included studying the works of Surrealists and Modernists. Thus, she absorbed artistic techniques and concepts from a wide array of sources. Such a way of interfacing with art played a significant role in shaping her artistic voice.

4. She loathed being called a surrealist

Dorothea Tanning is closely associated with Surrealism. She painted her dreams to reveal the intricacies of the human mind, especially when it comes to a person’s subconscious experience. Figures in her paintings often have closed eyes, as if they are dreaming, too. Her first encounter with Surrealism and Dada was in 1936 at The Fantastic Art, Dada, and Surrealism exhibition at MoMA. The nearly 700 works left her in awe. Then, in 1943, she participated in Peggy Guggenheim’s 31 Women exhibition, where she met and mingled with Surrealist artists.

Nevertheless, Tanning hated being labeled as a Surrealist. Not because she didn’t like Surrealism but because she found the act of labeling assailable. She felt it deprived her of artistic freedom. It got people to associate her with certain characteristics and made them have expectations that she did not look for. She stated:

5. She also hated the label “woman artist”

Tanning is one of the most prolific female artists of the 20th century. She constantly explored the female form, which linked her to the feminist movement. She also collaborated with female surrealists to help young women challenge restrictive perceptions of womanhood and pursue their careers as artists. Despite this, Tanning felt such labels confined her work rather than empower it. In an interview, she explained:

6. She married Max Ernst

Max Ernst and Dorothea Tanning met during the preparations for the 31 Women exhibition. At the time, Ernst was married to Peggy Guggenheim. However, when he saw Tanning’s painting Birthday, he fell in love—first with the artwork, and then with the artist herself. In 1946, Tanning and Ernst married in a double wedding alongside Man Ray and Juliet Browner. Later that year, the couple moved to Sedona, Arizona, where they would often host their artist friends. It was there that photographer Lee Miller created the iconic image of Max Ernst towering over a tiny Dorothea Tanning, making him appear like a giant.

Three years later, they relocated to Paris and eventually settled in Provence, although they continued to return to Sedona frequently throughout the 1950s. Tanning’s artistic style evolved significantly during this decade (see more below).

Max Ernst passed away on April 1, 1976, leaving Tanning heartbroken. Reflecting on her grief, she remarked:

In 1980, four years after Ernst’s death, Tanning moved back to New York. She spent the remainder of her life traveling between Los Angeles, New York, and France.

7. She turned to abstract art

In the 1950s, Tanning began embracing a more abstract style. Her art eventually shifted toward near-complete abstraction—a style that she maintained for the rest of her career. For her, this shift felt like a natural progression in her artistic journey. Reflecting on this transformation, she remarked:

By the late 1960s, her work had become almost entirely abstract. Despite this shift, her paintings never fully abandoned their connection to the female form.

8. Dorothea Tanning was a sculptor too

Between 1969 and 1973, Tanning entered her “soft sculpture” period. During this time, she moved away from traditional, hard materials and began creating sculptures using fabric. She also incorporated found objects into her work. This exploration culminated in the three-walled sculptural installation Hôtel du Pavot, Chambre 202 in 1970, which was later exhibited at the Centre Georges Pompidou. In 1987, Dorothea Tanning described this installation as:

9. She was also a published writer and poet

In addition to being a gifted painter and sculptor, Dorothea Tanning was also a writer and poet. Her first short story appeared in VVV in 1943. She also wrote original poems to accompany her etchings in the limited edition books Demain (1964) and En Chair (1973). However, it wasn’t until after 1980, when she returned permanently to New York, that she truly focused on writing. Encouraged by her friend and mentor James Merrill, Tanning began publishing poems, essays, and stories in various literary reviews and magazines, including The Yale Review Poetry, The Paris Review, and The New Yorker, continuing this work until the end of her life.

In 1986, she released her first memoir, Birthday, named after her iconic painting. The book was translated into four languages. Several years later, in 2001, she expanded on her memoir with the release of Between Lives: An Artist and Her World. In 2004, Tanning published her poetry collection A Table of Content and her short novel Chasm: A Weekend. Her second poetry collection, Coming To That, was published in 2011.

10. There is a Dorothea Tanning Foundation.

In 1997, the Dorothea Tanning Foundation was established to preserve her legacy and promote a deeper appreciation of her art, writing, and poetry. The Foundation collaborates with the Destina Foundation, which was founded in 2015. The Destina Foundation manages and distributes Dorothea Tanning’s estate and assets for philanthropic purposes.