Photo By Gail

Painted in Sedona, Arizona in 1947, Witnesses originates in a pivotal moment of Dorothy Tanning’s career, when she turned inward, translating the psychological imperatives of Surrealism into interior worlds shaped by ambiguity and concealment. The painting presents a crowded, deliberately compressed interior populated by uncanny, quasi-human figures whose anatomy resist stable definition.

Drapery appears throughout in heavy folds,, functioning as garment, curtain and architectural structure, gathering and suspending bodies while organizing the pictorial space. Warm prismatic light enters from the left and recedes into cool shadow at right, dividing the composition with theatrical intent. Obscured faces, hybrid forms, and fragmented bodies enact what Tanning described as “revealment” in which meaning remains provisional and dependent on perception. The glowing doorway at the left, a recurring motif in her Sedona paintings, operates is both invitation and barrier, signaling passage while sheltering the interior from the overwhelming world beyond.

Witnesses was first owned by Lincoln Kirstein, cofounder of the New York City Ballet, and one of the most influential cultural patrons of his generation. The painting reflects the artist’s close engagement during this period with theatrical design, particularly her collaborations with George Balanchine. Acquired nearly two decades ago by activist Sybil Shainwald, the work exemplifies her sustained support for women artist, and is a cornerstone of her significant collection.

Photographed in Sotheby’s Auction House in New York City.