When I was a child, one of the many world-famous paintings I loved featured melting clocks, which left a deep impression on me, though I never knew the artist's name. At the end of June this year, my wife and I had the fortune to visit the Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, where I was astonished to realize that the masterpiece I had long admired was created by this very artist. Dalí, along with Picasso and Miró, is considered one of the three great Spanish artists of the 20th century. He was a surrealist painter. Throughout the exhibition, I could clearly see the artist’s obsession and dedication to his craft, as well as the evolution of his style across different periods.
First, I visited Dalí's later works, mostly created between the 1960s and 1970s. Most of these pieces are surrealist works created using etching or lithography. The primary motivation for using printmaking techniques was their reproducibility. It is evident that in his later years, Dalí preferred printmaking as a method to widely disseminate his works and thus enhance their commercial value. Among Dalí's numerous print artworks, we can see that after the color printing process, he would add additional elements with a pen to ensure each print's uniqueness and individuality. His "Penitent Peach Tree" is one piece I particularly like.
Figure 1.1 and Figure 1.2 Captured by Ning Liu on June 22, 2024, Dalí's work “Penitent Peach Tree” and William Hooker's fruit illustration selection.
The creation technique of the print "Penitent Peach Tree" is an example of Dalí's continued practice of recreating based on other works. This piece is based on the foundational illustrations from William Hooker's Fruit Illustration Collection from 1813-1818. Dalí reconfigured the composition and added details, blending in surrealist innovations. We can see that Dalí added anthropomorphic figures to the original fruit illustration. The central peach and green leaves symbolize life, while the figure in red robes on the left resembles a monk, whose shape also mirrors Christian church architecture, representing a place of penance or some ritual. The anthropomorphic figure on the lower left, formed by peach blossoms and stems, kneels on one knee, expressing repentance or humility. The cut-open peach on the lower right transforms into an eye filled with tears. At the very bottom is Dalí's unique contribution to each print: his spontaneous pen sketches, which appear to depict multiple people arguing or fighting. This perhaps contrasts and complements the penitent peach tree above, inviting deeper thought and interpretation through such random additional creations.
Next, we entered another exhibit room displaying some of Dalí's earlier and mid-career works. Unlike his later works, Dalí's major works during his peak period were primarily oil paintings that expressed his surrealist style. The first and most striking piece was the enormous oil painting "The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus," which occupied an entire wall. The painting on display is an original work by Dalí.
Figure 1.3 Captured by Ning Liu on June 22, 2024, Dalí's original oil painting “The Discovery of America by Christopher Columbus.”
Overall, this painting depicts the scene of Columbus discovering and conquering the New World, incorporating religious elements. Columbus raises a banner of the Virgin Mary and lands a boat with sails adorned with Christian symbols. In the lower left, there is a figure resembling a Christian clergyman, while on the right, several people hold up crosses, and in the background, various national flags, likely representing European countries, are visible. If you look closely, you can see a faint image of Jesus or an angel at the top of the sky. Dalí extensively used Christian elements throughout the painting, employing surrealist techniques to blend reality with dreamlike scenes. This juxtaposition highlights the importance and indispensability of Christianity to Columbus and his fleet. The robust depiction of the sail with religious symbols indirectly represents Columbus's determination and faith. Further research revealed that the image of the Virgin Mary in this painting is modeled after Dalí's wife, Gala. Dalí also depicted himself as one of the kneeling monks. Dalí often integrated his wife and himself into his artworks, which not only showcased his surrealist techniques but also expressed his deep emotional investment in the painting. It also highlighted his reverence and respect for his wife.
Figure 1.4 Captured by Ning Liu on June 22, 2024, Dalí's lithograph “Lincoln in Dalivision.”
Similarly, in Dalí's work "Lincoln in Dalivision," you can also see the figure of his wife. Although Dalí was a Spanish painter, many of his works are related to America or the United States, largely because he lived there during World War II (1940–1948) while fleeing the conflict in Europe.
Figure 1.5 Captured by Ning Liu on June 22, 2024, at the gift shop of the Dalí Museum.
Finally, as we prepared to leave the museum, I saw a replica of "The Persistence of Memory" in the shop. It was then that I realized this outstanding surrealist painter was the artist behind the painting I remembered so vividly from my childhood. I was overwhelmed with emotion. This museum visit, through his numerous works, not only deepened my understanding of this world-renowned surrealist artist Dalí's life and his blending of classic techniques with innovation, but also allowed me to see his emotional investment in his art and his reflections on religion, science, and human nature. It also filled in a gap in my childhood memory—I finally knew the name of the artist who painted the melting clocks: Salvador Dalí.
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