Varo and the Surrealist poet Benjamin Peret disembarked at the port of Veracruz on December 16, 1941, the day she turned 33. Little is known of Varo's artistic production from her arrival in Mexico until the 1950s, when she began creating fascinating works that drew on a very personal vision. Displaying an extraordinary skill learned at the San Fernando Fine Arts Academy in Madrid and through close observation of the Old Masters, she constructed a pictorial universe that expressed her profound vision of human beings, their inner worlds and their relationship with the cosmos. Drawing on influences such as the Russian mystics Peter Ouspensky and George Gurdjieff, her interest in the development of consciousness and the role of humankind in achieving universal harmony led her to conceive an enigmatic and magical oeuvre. Most of the mysterious scenarios in her paintings are inhabited by a sole figure, often androgynous-looking, with an astonishing resemblance to herself, absorbed in a metaphysical quest.

In 'Harmony' (1956) or 'Suggestive Self-portrait', Varo painted a medieval atmosphere that evokes the architectural constructions of the Siennese painter Ambrogio Lorenzetti. Her works from that period were perfectly structured, mathematically-calculated compositions. Every painting was planned in its totality in preliminary sketches before being set down on a canvas or panel with a very delicate brushtroke. Colour was often used in a symbolic way: in 'Harmony' blue is the hue of intellect, peace and contemplation. Symbolising the sky and infinity, it represents the mystical search the character is undertaking. The setting of the hunting room resembles the alchemical laboratories of the esoteric literature favoured by the surrealists. Within, a solitary figure is surrounded by symbols of alchemy, magic, and transformation. The birds represent freedom from the physical restrictions of earth–bound life and the ascent of the soul to the gods, often through mystical experience.

“This person” explained Varo in a letter to her brother, “is trying to find the invisible thread that unites all things; so, on a musical staff made of metal threads he places all sorts of objects… once he manages to put all these different objects into place, by blowing air through the clef supporting the staff, he should produce music that is not only harmonious, but also objective…capable of moving the things around…”

In this magnificent painting, Varo represents the virtuous harmony between art and nature as the instrument that leads to higher spiritual knowledge. It challenges the viewer to question their perceptions of reality and takes them into a journey through the mysteries of consciousness.