The Tate Modern has just unveiled a major exhibition of Dorothea Tanning’s work, bringing together 100 of her pieces from across the globe – many of which are being shown in the UK for the first time.

With an extensive career and a collection of work delving into surrealism, abstract painting, textile sculpture and installation, you’d think Tanning (1910-2012) would be one of the leading names in modern art. However, along with many other female talents, she seems to have slipped through the cracks of our art history.

Visitors of the exhibition can look forward to finally celebrating the life and work of this pioneering artist, with a rare opportunity to experience her unique internal world. In the meantime, we’ve rounded up five things you need to know about Dorothea Tanning.

In 1942, German painter Max Ernst visited Tanning’s studio to consider her work for an exhibition of emerging female artists. He was captivated by her powerful self-portrait – and was in fact the one who named it Birthday. Ernst and Tanning married in 1946 and stayed together until his death in 1976.

Later in life when Tanning was 80, she began to focus on writing, producing a novel, an autobiography and poetry that featured in The New Yorker, The Yale Review and The Paris Review. One of her unpublished poems, Stain, explores her frustration of her marriage to Max Ernst defining her career – but not his.