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WOMAN AND FACE
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INTROSPECTION
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During the ten years they spent in the Alpes Maritimes, Ellen Lórien posed often for Johfra. Though these works (above) are not expressly portraits, her features can nevertheless be recognized in many of them. Meanwhile, a work such as Animus and Anima (next page) is expressly autobiographical, suggesting that Johfra had found his 'internal feminine' in Lórien, and she her 'internal masculine' in him.
In the Perigord Noir period, Johfra created four large portraits of Lórien titled Morning, Noon, Evening, and Night. In each, she appears with a symbolic animal (unicorn, swan, cat) and has fairies flying round her. Different moods and different facets of her character are revealed in each work.
In the last five years of his life, Johfra created a whole series of paintings dedicated to her. The ‘Ellen in Wonderland’ Series eventually ran to nine paintings, culminating in The Apotheosis of Ellen in Wonderland. In each, she appears in a broad landscape or architectual setting with many characters. The paintings are humorous, playful, and full of joy.
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THE EVENING
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