Flying Tanagras

Author: Sofía Bassi

Title: Flying Tanagras (Tanagras volando)

Date: 1965

Material: Oil on masonite

Dimensions: 31.5 × 23.6 inches

Location: Private collection

Rights: Sofía Bassi Foundation

Flying Tanagras (Tanagras volando, 1965) is a striking example of Sofía Bassi’s dreamlike aesthetic. Two spectral female figures traverse an ethereal, mountainous landscape. The two figures appear suspended in a dance with the wind, their garments dissolving into the terrain in a seamless fusion of body and environment. The title’s reference to Tanagras, small terracotta figurines from ancient Greece, invokes classical antiquity and its association with feminine elegance and ritual poise.

As in much of Bassi’s work, the scene is imbued with a surreal, otherworldly atmosphere. The translucent figures echo her broader engagement with metaphysical themes such as the permeability between dimensions and transformation. By mobilizing ancient Greek themes, Bassi explores other states of being and the spiritual transformation.