Uploaded March 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Le devenir de la liberté, or The Future of Freedom, is a compelling, elusive painting by the Czech Surrealist Toyen. Executed in 1946, the composition came at a pivotal moment in her career, as she emerged from six years of hiding and confinement, and began to reengage with the avant-garde art circles that had been squashed during the Second World War.
Born in Prague as Marie Čermínová in 1902, the young artist broke convention by leaving home at 16 and adopting the ambiguous, gender-neutral pseudonym, Toyen. She frequently dressed in men’s clothing, favouring a fluid identity that defied gender norms.
Through the 1930s, she developed a reputation for imaginative, often provocative imagery. She was among the founding members of the official Czech Surrealist Group, who were closely associated with their Parisian counterparts.
Here, the natural world seems to invade the domestic realm. At the centre, a mass of green pea pods forms the suggestion of a human figure — part‑plant, part‑person, yet never fully defined. Above, swallows sweep across a sky, symbols of spring and hope. But the scene is confined: the sky is contained in the corner of a room, where a swallow’s nest clings to the join of two walls.
Toyen plays with a space between inside and outside – exploring ideas of freedom and confinement.
The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, 5 March 2025, Christie's London
Estimate: GBP 1,200,000 - 2,200,000
Le devenir de la liberté, or The Future of Freedom, is a compelling, elusive painting by the Czech Surrealist Toyen. Executed in 1946, the composition came at a pivotal moment in her career, as she emerged from six years of hiding and confinement, and began to reengage with the avant-garde art circles that had been squashed during the Second World War.
Born in Prague as Marie Čermínová in 1902, the young artist broke convention by leaving home at 16 and adopting the ambiguous, gender-neutral pseudonym, Toyen. She frequently dressed in men’s clothing, favouring a fluid identity that defied gender norms.
Through the 1930s, she developed a reputation for imaginative, often provocative imagery. She was among the founding members of the official Czech Surrealist Group, who were closely associated with their Parisian counterparts.
Here, the natural world seems to invade the domestic realm. At the centre, a mass of green pea pods forms the suggestion of a human figure — part‑plant, part‑person, yet never fully defined. Above, swallows sweep across a sky, symbols of spring and hope. But the scene is confined: the sky is contained in the corner of a room, where a swallow’s nest clings to the join of two walls.
Toyen plays with a space between inside and outside – exploring ideas of freedom and confinement.
The Art of the Surreal Evening Sale, 5 March 2025, Christie's London
Estimate: GBP 1,200,000 - 2,200,000
