Portrait of Gala with two
lamb chops balanced on her shoulder, 1933
Whatever the future
judgement of Salvador Dali [1904-1989] may be, it cannot be denied that
he has an unique place in the history of modern art. His fame has
been an issue of controversy, kept alive as much by Dali’s own
provocative exhibitionism as by the critics and press, who have so
consistently condemned him for his excesses: ‘neurotic’, ‘egocentric’
and ‘mad’ are words not infrequently used when referring to him.
"Every morning when I wake up, I experience exquisite joy – the joy
of being Salvador Dali…". – Salvador Dali
"The only difference between me & a madman is that I am not
mad." – Salvador Dali
Invisible Afghan with the Apparition on
the Beach of the Face of Garcia Lorca in the Form of a Fruit Dish with
Three Figs, 1938
Soft Construction with Boiled Beans –
Premonition of Civil War, 1936
The title of Invisible Afghan with the
Apparition refers to Frederico Garcia Lorca, with whom Dalн
formed an intense relationship with in the early Twenties. Lorca was
shot and killed in the Spanish Civil War in 1936; this may explain his
"apparition" in this painting.
Invisible Afghan is a visual
illusion that consists of many objects that, when viewed together, are
interpreted by the eye to be one of three possible images. The strongest
image is a face that comprizes an urn and two men’s heads. A fruit dish
with pears also appears, formed by the shape of the rocks against the
sea with the urn becoming the base. The third image is that of a very
vague dog, formed by the swirling clouds, the head resting on the
cliffs, its paws painted in sketchily
This complex painting portrays a couple fusing
together in a kiss, quite literally devouring one another. The images of love
and food are thoroughly mixed together, an impossible scene rendered in a very
realistic style, creating a very vivid portrayal of an emotional experience with
many possible interpretations.
The landscape in the background is particularly realistic. On the left
side, a steep rock rises above a yellowish plane and casts its shadow. On the
right are more distant mountains, and a verdant valley with a single building
and a possibly cultivated red field. However, the landscape is essentially just
a background for the more striking forms in front.
The figures are very amorphous without facial features besides ears, and
a somewhat unnatural skin tone. It may take some careful inspection to discern
that the figure on our right is most probably male, and the left must be female
because blobs that appear something like breasts spill from her shirt onto the
table. It is unclear if they are standing, sitting, or if they even have lower
bodies, although it does seem that they are leaning on the green table.
This table has a partly open drawer in the bottom right. An ambiguous
form, possibly an animal’s tongue or other food item, is nailed to the table
just above this drawer. Nuts, a peeled apple, half a loaf of bread and other
vaguely food-like shapes rest on the table and on the woman’s left breast. All
of the objects cast dramatic shadows that stretch leftward across the canvas.
The man wears a white shirt. His left shoulder is behind a mix of patches
that cannot be clearly identified. He is behind another wooden drawer that holds
a fork and spoon. His left hand somewhat gracefully holds a spoon, and his right
hand grasps at the side of the woman’s right breast. On tope of his head is a
yellow apple, which draws a fair amount of visual attention although it is
fairly senseless. It seems to accentuate the flat oblong shape of the top of the
man’s head.
The woman’s shirt is red, which echoes the red field in the background on
the right. Her right arm and ripples hand very awkwardly reaches a fork towards
the couple’s fused head. Her left arm stretches behind the man’s neck, where she
uses a knife to cut her own left breast. This breast is a very tan colour and has
the small objects on it that look like food or stones. Her right breast is very
pale white, sort of pooling into a bowl on the table, being pinched by the man’s
one hand and being cut with his spoon higher up. Across the middle of her face
is a sort of light wound where flesh has been peeled away, reminiscent of the
apple on the table and ants swarm around.
Brian Zbriger