The artwork titled “My Nurse Maid” was created by Meret Oppenheim in 1936. This piece, rendered in mixed media, is a prominent example of the Surrealism movement and falls under the genre of sculpture. Currently, the artwork is housed in the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The sculpture employs a striking juxtaposition of objects to convey a sense of surrealism and subversion. The artwork features a pair of high-heeled shoes, bound and presented on a silver platter, evoking a myriad of interpretations regarding femininity, domesticity, and objectification. The shoes, meticulously tied with twine and augmented with frilled adornments at the heels, rest on the platter in a manner that is both provocative and unsettling. The use of everyday objects, recontextualized in an unexpected and dreamlike manner, exemplifies Oppenheim’s mastery in blending the ordinary with the bizarre, thereby challenging the viewer’s perceptions and evoking deeper reflections on societal norms and personal identity.