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La Grande Peur du monde
, 1940–44
89 x 130.5 cm (h x w)
Oil on canvas
© The estate of Marthe Hekimi
Hekimi's work is characterised by dramatic titles and a rhythmic and decorative content influenced by Persian art. In a strange and contemporary twist, Marine Le Pen, Leader of France’s right-wing Front National used the words ‘grande peur’ in a speech before her election defeat in May 2017. The term also has roots in the French Revolution, referencing a general panic between July and August 1789.