Salvador Dali
vendredi 7 mars 2008
15:24
The enigma of desire 1929
The enigma of desire 1929 By 1929 Salvador Dali found himself as a surrealist, being directly
inspired by Freud and Giorgio de Chirico. The impression of loneliness is a reference to Chirico. We
can observe the presence of landscape, which was admired by Dali, the presence of Catalonia. In the
front we can see a strange object, which somehow reminds us of a rock destroyed by the sea and
the wind, accompanied by time. In each "hole" of the "rock" we can see the letters "ma mère",
which the representation of desire; on the very "foot" of the "rock" we can see the representation of
Dali himself : a head with eyes closed, we can observe the nose and the brow;
In the background we can observe another rock and a nude standing thus that we can see her body
with blood drops on it, which is directly sending us to the notion of mother presented on the
painting
The Great Masturbator 1929
The great masturbator 1929
We can observe the representation of the landscape of Catalonia, the representation of Dali himself
with a head with eyes closed, and open mouth, and the grasshoper almost getting into his mouth;
the presence of grasshoppers can be explained by looking back into Dali's childhood, who, being a
child was afraid of these insects, that's why the representation of a grasshopper is used as a symbol
of destruction,waste and fear. In "The Great Masturbator" the grasshopper is shown as stuck to the
face, and we can imagine that it is going to destroy the human being;
We can observe the presence of a sleeping woman and the legs and the sex of a man
Another sex symbol is seen here- the head of the lyon
The portrait of Paul Eluard 1929
The representation of Paul Eluard is a bust, which gives us an idea of someone very serious, not
familiar to us. But this is not just a portrait of a poet, as well we can observe the representation of
Dali on the left from the bust of Paul Eluard, with a grasshopper, which is connected to the idea of
destruction and fear and another insects, the ants, close to the mouth, which can refer to the notion
od death and decay
Besides, we can see two figures, very lonely, with long shadows, which is a direct reference to
Giorgio de Chirico, we can see on the shadow that one figure is carrying something, but the subject
is out of the frames of the painting, it's somehow the presence and the absence at the same time.
Resistance de la mémoire 1931
The resistance of memory is the work introducing the surrealistic image of the soft, melting pocket
watch.
The general interpretation of the work is that the soft watches debunk the assumption that time is
rigid or deterministic, and this sense is supported by other images in the work, such as the wide
expanding landscape and the ants and fly devouring the other watches.
Dalí employed extensive symbolism in his work. For instance, the hallmark soft watches that first
appear in The Persistence of Memory suggest Einstein's theory that time is relative and not fixed.[25]
The idea for clocks functioning symbolically in this way came to Dalí when he was staring at a runny
piece of Camembert cheese during a hot day in August.
We can observe another approach of a self-portarait, this time it's shown as dead, with closed eyes
and the tongue going out from the mouth, and, of course, the colour of the corpse; time is flowing ,
there is no possibility to go back, the olive tree is dead, the wathes are no longer functioning, and
even the watch which seems to preserve it's "normality" is attacked by the ants, symbolizing the
idea of death and destroy.
Only the background , the landscape of the Calaces, remain undestroyed
Here Dali wants to represent the moment when we just about to fall asleep, this half-sleeping, halfawakening, still in reallity, but reality getting to take strange forms; we can observe this idea of the
sleep "falling down on you"- so when the cratches break because of the weight we are pluged into
the sleep; in the background we can see something which looks like the hill along the beach, this is a
kind of transformation of a village
Le sommeil
1937
La charrette fantome 1933
Here Dali is trying to show something that is existing, but not existing at the same time
We can see a desert and a lonely charrette driving, but at the same time we can't see neither the
traces, which are supposed to be left, no the shadows of the wheels, as if they were simply sticks;
On the horizon we can see something that looks like a city, and if we look carefully we can see that
the driver of the carriage is actually the coppola and the horse being another building, so it's
something "paranoical"
Looks like reality but in fact there is nothing left from reality
Here we can observe
The presence of Gala,holding
The bunch of grapes and
Showing it to the viewers, we have different elements which are seem hardly connected to each
other, but in fact they are. Thus, the bunch of the grape is connected to the back of the horse's
statue and skull- we can see the connection on the preporatoral sketch, where a back of horse can
be easily transformed into the skull and in the bunch of the grape;
Another point is that we can see the reference to Chirico- a little girl skipping is suggestig the idea of
loneliness, and there is something else, if we look carefully we can notice that the church-bell has
exactly the same shape as the girl do.
And as well we can see the presence of the three different villages, which are exactly the same ones
you can visit in Caraces. Thus,there are so many elements which we can't understand, but this is a
typical surrealist approach of art-suggesting things without explanation, giving an opportunity for a
viewer to discover.
Pasted from <http://www.abcgallery.com/D/dali/dali46.html>
Suburbs of the Paranoiac-Critical City: Afternoon on the Outskirts of European History. 1936.
Soft Construction with Boiled Beans: Premonition of Civil War. 1936
Soft construction with boiled beans 1936
This painting is the symbol of the country destroying itself, as well the country destroying itself
during the Civil War.
We can observe a face, already destroyed, looking up into the sky, with an expression of great suffer.
We can see that the parts of the body are totally disorganized in a kind of a monstrous creature.
The arm looks very strong, healty and violently grabbing the breast, but the hand is already
something touched by death.
Here we have a reference to smth not real, to a kind of a dream- this is,of course, the night table

This painting is interesting as far as double image is concerned, first one is the image of a
beatiful woman, another one the battle field with people fighting, thus people fighting are
making the face of a woman a the breast, therefore it can give us an idea of that Spain is a
beautiful woman but destroying herself.
Another point is the presence of the drawer, which is the idea of the memory which is kept in
"the drawers" of our brain, which is impossible to be seen, and impossible to be taken out,
unless "the drawer" is not open. In the painting we can see something red going out of the
drawer, but we can't guess what..
Perhaps this is a reference to Freud
Metamorphosis of Narcissus (1937) is a painting based on Greek mythology according to which,
Narcissus fell in love with his own reflection in the water and was turned into a flower by gods. Dali
finished working on this painting after his success in United States.
On the painting two contrasting images emerge. On the left side, one of Narcissus and his reflection
in a pool of water. On the right side, mimicing Narcissus' body a hand (which represents the hand of
the water, as to lift its own reflection, perhaps a symbol of human ego) holding an egg held by its
thumb, middle and the index fingers. A flower is breaking through the egg shell. The hand is cleverly
juxtaposed to imitate Narcissus' body. The knee becomes the thumb, the left arm becomes the index
finger, the right shoulder becomes the middle finger, and so forth as seen on the picture. In the
back, standing on the curve of the dirt road there are eight visible posed human figures. To the right
of the painting a sculpture on a red stand on a checkered floor can be noticed. There is also a dog
seemingly eating something off the ground. A closer observation of the hand and the ground
underneath reveals ants, a common subject of Dali's paintings.
The left side of the painting is significantly brighter, using yellow, red and bluish colors. The right
side, depicting the transformation of Narcissus is almost in the shade, painted using dark blue and
gray colors. The group of 8 people seem to be attracted by the bright Narcissus image before the
transformation, almost all of the figures are wither facing each other or the viewer of the painting,
the atmosphere is bright and expresses social interaction. Yet on the right side we see a single statue
turned away from the viewer of the painting, intuitively suggesting loneliness and individuality.
Dali wrote the following poem as a textual counterpart of this painting from which some of the hints
as to the meaning and state of the objects on this painting can be derived.
A Poem by Salvador Dali -1937 "Metamorphosis Of Narcissus".
Narcissus,
in his immobility,
absorbed by his reflection with the digestive slowness of carnivorous plants,
becomes invisible.
There remains of him only the hallucinatingly white oval of his head,
his head again more tender,
his head, chrysalis of hidden biological designs,
his head held up by the tips of the water's fingers,
at the tips of the fingers
of the insensate hand,
of the terrible hand,
of the mortal hand
of his own reflection.
When that head slits
when that head splits
when that head bursts,
it will be the flower,
the new Narcissus,
Gala - my narcissus
Methamorphosis of Narcis 1937
The Metamorphosis of Narciss is the way to connect different elements, first one is the greek
mythology, according to which, Narciss died because of having falled in love with his image, the
reference to Chirico with the chess-board and a statue and, the Catalan expression- "to have an
onion in the head" which means to have a complex, that's why Dali shows the transformation of the
head of Narciss in an egg, which is symbolizing the beginning of the life, and a narciss growing out of
the head
Spain
The endless enigma 1938
In the painting we observe the double image playing, thus we can see reclining philosopher, who is
perhaps reading the book, we can see the dog,a cyclope with a face of man, which is at the same
time transforming into the vase with fruits, and at the same a mythological beas with the half body
of the horse
this painting develops the process of creating double, triple and even multiple images which
stemmed from the activity of paranoia criticism which had just been established by Dalí: "recently,
through a clearly paranoiac process, I obtained the image of a woman whose position, shadows and
morphology are, without in any way altering or deforming her real appearance, simultaneously that
of a horse". Through this multiplication of possible images, Dalí aimed to set up an uncertainty over
what the image represents, in order then to extend this critical attitude to the whole of reality: "a
mental doubt is cast over whether images of reality itself are uniquely a product of our paranoiac
faculty".
This painting provokes a calling into question of the unequivocal nature of perception through the
metamorphosis of a boat into a woman's body, then a horse, a head of hair that becomes a mane,
and the setting of a beach filled with architectural motifs that bring to mind the Modern Style (Art
Nouveau) so admired by Dalí.
The painting was exhibited at the Studio 28, the Montmartre arthouse cinema, on the occasion of
the first screening of L'Âge d'or, one of the two films Dalí made with Buñuel. It was attacked by a
hostile audience, an indication of the scandal aroused by Dalí in the early 1930s.
Slave Market with the Appartion of the Invisible Bust of Voltaire
1940
Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate. One Second before Awakening. 1944.
Slave market with appartion of the invisible bust of Voltaire
This painting is again the way to play with
Double image, we can see rather classical
Architecture, we can see two women in black and white
Dresses of the XVII centurty, which are actually transforming
Into the face and bust of Voltaire, the philosopher, who is considered to be rather sceptical, but here
he is smiling, which is in contradiction with the general notions about the philosopher; Gala is
present here, bcause Dali used to say that it was thanks to Gala that he had escaped the way to look
at the world with scepticism
This painting is somehow can be called the illustration of Freud's "Iterpretation of dreams", of the
idea that we can see the dream, as a complete story just in one second before awakening, that in
fact it's just the matter of instances as far as time is cocerned, when we feel like we've been
dreaming for a long time;
Here we can see Gala, who is dreaming, and just one second before awakening.The dream is caused
by the bee being attracked by a pomegranate, and the noise of the fly is transforming into different
images which are connected to danger, agression, thus we can see the tigers, which seem to attack
something ant then the gun with it's sharp part stinging Gala, just as if the bee was stinging. This
was called a paranoic method by dALI,; the representation of the heaviest animal in the world with
the legs of the insect referes to the idea of something unreal, what is supposed to be seen in the
state of paranoia
The Temptation of St. Anthony. 1946.
The temptation of Saint Antony
Is one of the mosr famous paintings by
Dali. We can see here that the things are shown together, although being an opposition, thus the
idea of religion is shwh together with the idea of sexuality, the elephants with the legs of the insects.
The representation of nude women, at the same time most probably being angels, is a contradiction
Poetry of America 1943
The poetry of America in my opinion is inspired,as far as this word can be convenient, by
Political affairs, thus we can see the continent of Africa which is falling down from the wall, as
something without anything inside;here we can observe the influence of Chirico as well, the lonely
figures on the deserted landscape, conveying the idea of something motionless
Geopolitical child wathing the birth of a new man 1943
" Geopolitical child wathing the birth of a new man" is a painting directly
Connected to the situation in the world, we can observe someone very strong, even violent, gettiong
out of the egg, violently touching the islands, which are supposed to be UK, we can observe two
continents going down, hus of South America and Africa, and the presence of a woman, who looks
as if she was starving, is directly connected to the representation of starving African continent;we
can feel how strong the man is pushing the peel of the egg, we almost can feel the movement
Now it's no longer something connected to psychoanalysis, it's even hardly can be called surrealism,
it's the beginning of a new era in Dali's art
Pasted from <http://www.fotos.org/galeria/data/520/3Salvador-Dali-The-Face-Of-War.jpg>
We can see the presence of a human being face but tranforming into the skull, being attacked by
snakes, as if it was touched by death. Into the eyes holes as well as in the mouth open we can see
another skulls, which gives us the idea of something terrifying; This image is an idea of war, inside
there are other wars, which means that wars are a none-stop process
This photograph was taken by a hungarian photographer Philippe Halsman, the picture by itself is
the idea of Salvador Dali who, by asking 7 models stand in a definite positions, was able to transform
the live statue into the image of the skull
Three sphinxes of Bikini 1947
This painting belongs to the peiod when Dali began to be interested in atomic bombs
,in the energy of atom, he was inspired by the discoveries in chemestry and physics
We can see the transformation of the human head into thr crown of the tree and then "the
mushroom cloud"; the images are connected in the sense of similar appearance as well as in the idea
that the human being transforming the nature created a powerful weapon;
We can feel the moment of silence, of tension just before the very moment of explosion
This is still a surrealist painting, but at the same time opening the boarders of the surrealist
movement
Galatée aux Sphèr
This painting belongs to the period when Dali began to be inspired by the discoveries in
mathematics, physics and chemestry, we can see the representation of gala in spheres, which are
symbolizing DNA;
This is not a painting in a real sence, but the seria of spheres, thanks to use of different colours we
are able to recognise the face of Gala with the very true features of the face
The top of the painting is the representation of the Pantheon in Rome, so it is at the same time the
head and the architecture, the wheelbarows, the most simple thing on Earth are give the idea of
something very solemn, with the spirals carrying the idea of something heading for the sky, thisthe
way to make the contradiction- the common farmer-instruments are transformed into a kind of
spiritiual objects, but of course, there is not the only true interpretation, because dealing with
surrealism you can never stop in the interpretation of the paintings
The wheelbarrow 1951
Raphaelesque Head Exploding. 1951
Human head is at the same time a pantheon in rome, the face is representing Gala, but in the style
of Raphael
Young Virgin Auto-Sodomized by the Horns of Her Own Chastity. 1954
The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus. 1958-9
This painting refers t the time when Dali was no more painting in the surrealist
Style, but this is rather a mix of catholicism, mysticism
We can see a lot of crosses, Gala is represented as a saint, although it is strange, knowing
The way she was living
"
Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea which at Twenty Meters becomes a Portrait of Abraham
Lincoln (1976),
Dali liked hiding things in his paintings by using optical illusions. In the middle of this painting, a
woman, who is Dali's wife (Gala) looking out of a cross-shaped window overlooking the harbor. The
window happens to be a cross that also outlines the shape of Lincoln's head. At the right side,
slightly below the horizontal mid-section of the painting we see 4 tiles aligned together to form
another cross. By taking a closer look of the upper region of the Abraham Lincoln head, yet another
cross painted out as a cloud formation can be spotted. To the left of that cross and directly where
the sun is shining through the reddish-orange clouds
Some parts of this painting are rendered in the style known as "trompe l'oeli", where adding subtle
shadows to the objects makes them seem to leap out from the flat surface of the painting, creating a
subtle but very effective 3-dimensional illusion. This effect has been used on the walls in the painting
where the plaster is breaking and peeling off, revealing some of the tiles.
Dalí's art drew from his everyday life and extracted seemingly arbitrary things such as infinite desert
plains, marble statues, bicycles or telephones and used them as icons, where through their isolation
they became symbols for deeper emotional themes. Dalí explored his own fears and fantasies
through these main symbolic images captured on canvas.
Melting Watches
The famous melting watches represent the omnipresence of time, and identify its mastery over
human beings. The inspiration for this concept came from a dream of runny Camembert one hot
August afternoon. These symbols represent a metaphysical image of time devouring itself and
everything else.
Crutches
The crutch is one of Dalí's most important images and features in many of his works. It is first and
foremost a symbol of reality and an anchor in the ground of the real world, providing spiritual and
physical support for inadequacy in life. The crutch is also the symbol of tradition, upholding essential
human values.
Drawers
The drawers arise from their Freudian explanation as a representation of the concealed sexuality of
women. Dalí portrays many of the drawers to be slightly ajar, indicating that their secrets are known
and no longer to be feared.
Elephants
Dalí's elephants are usually depicted with long, multijointed, almost invisible legs of desire, and
carrying objects on their backs, which are also full of symbolism. These elephants represent the
future and are also a symbol of strength. They are often shown carrying obelisks, which are symbols
of power and domination, and not without phallic overtones. The weight supported by the animals
spindly legs shows weightlessness, only made more significant by the burden on their backs.
Eggs
The egg is another favourite Dalínian motif, given the duality of its hard exterior and soft interior.
Dalí links the egg to pre-natal images and the intra-uterine universe, and thus it is a symbol of both
hope and love.
Snails
The snail occupies an important place in the Dalínian universe as it is intimately linked to a significant
event in Dalí's life - his meeting with Sigmund Freud. As Dalí believed that nothing occurred to him
simply by accident, he was captivated when he saw a snail on a bicycle outside Freud's house. He
connected the snail with a human head, more particularly Freud's head. As with the egg and lobster,
the hard shells and soft interiors of snails also fascinated Dalí, and their geometry of their curves
enchanted him.
Ants
When Dalí was five years old, he saw an insect that had been eaten by ants and of which nothing
remained except the shell. The swarming ants in Dalí's pictures and sculptures are references to
death and decay, and are reminders of human mortality and impermanence. They are also said to
represent overwhelming sexual desire.
Grasshoppers
Dalí had an irrational fear of grasshoppers, stemming from his childhood torment by other children,
who often threw grasshoppers and other insects at him. When they appear in Dalí's work,
grasshoppers are used as a symbol of destruction, waste and fear. Dalí represents them with a
fearful nature, as large and intimidating in comparison to the other figures, and they are often
shown in the act of eating the main subject of the work.
Pasted from <http://www.castlegalleries.com/artists/salvador_dali/profile.asp>
Biography
A Catalan by birth, in 1921 Salvador Dalí entered the Madrid Academy of Fine Arts, from which he
was expelled in 1926 for unruly behaviour. Nonetheless, this background left him with a love of
great painting, heightened by his discovery of the artistic avant-gardes, in particular Italian Futurism,
Cubism and the work of De Chirico. During this period he moved in anarchist circles and formed a
close friendship with the poet Federico Garcia Lorca, who wrote the Ode to Salvador Dalí, and with
Luis Buñuel, who was then a student.
He began producing his own work around 1927, for example the canvas titled Le sang est plus doux
que le miel (Blood is Sweeter than Honey), which depicts a deserted landscape scattered with
strange figures, among them his first dissolving forms. But it was only with the film Un Chien
andalou, made with Luis Buñuel in 1929, that he made his mark on the artistic scene and attracted
the attention of the Surrealists.
In the summer of 1929, his new friends visited him in Catalonia, bringing with them Helena
Diakonova, nicknamed Gala, Dalí's future companion. In that same year he had his first solo
exhibition in Paris. In 1930, the scandal caused by the screening of L'Âge d'or began to make him
famous. He produced multiple surrealist objects and applied the paranoia criticism method to his
painting.
During the war, he stayed in the United States, where he produced illustrations and advertising
images, and wrote his autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí. He also devised theatre and
film sets, the best-known being for Alfred Hitchcock's Spellbound in 1945. He subsequently divided
his time between New York, Paris and Port-Lligat, where he had a house in Cadaques, still continuing
to make appearances in the course of provocative interventions.