El Salvador was given the sculptures with a description. Tatyana Gaiduk's blog
Snail and Angel
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984
It is well known that the snail was one of Dali's fetishes. The symbolic image of a snail has many meanings. It is a combination of tender living flesh and tough dead shell. This is the fusion of male and female principles in one creature (earth snails are hermaphrodites). This is a perfect harmony of love relationships, because when two snails copulate, each realizes both of its sexual principles.
The snail shell is a symbol of frozen time, the spiral of the shell symbolizes infinity. In this sculptural composition, the snail symbolizes the slow passage of time.
A swift angel appeared to give the snail the gift of unlimited speed. But even he is powerless in the face of time, as evidenced by the crutch - a symbol of weakness.
Dancer Dali
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1949, first casting - 1984
Dali always admired the art of dance. Spanish flamenco, famous for its rich possibilities for worthy expression of dominant human emotions, is especially close to him in spirit. Dali's dancer moves in a rapid rhythm. She is filled with the energy of dance. Her image is an image of materialized passion. The folds of the whirling skirt rise higher and higher, turning into wings. This dance contains magical power that can lift a person above reality.
Adam and Eve
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1968, first casting - 1984.
In this exquisite masterpiece of erotic sculpture, Dali depicts Adam, Eve and the Tempter Serpent on the eve of the Fall. Seduced by the Serpent, Eve persuades Adam to taste the forbidden fruit. Adam had already raised his hand, but at the last moment he froze, not daring to make a final choice between a promise to God and an irresistible temptation. The wise serpent tries to quell doubts and calm the doomed couple. Knowing about the suffering awaiting people, he curls between them in the shape of a heart, as if connecting them with a new gift, love and, creating a figurative triad, potentially rich in semantic shades and philosophical generalizations.
Alice in Wonderland
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984.
Alice in Wonderland is one of Dali's favorite artistic images. This eternal girl contrasts the confusion of the looking glass with invincible childish naivety and sincerity. Meetings with the inhabitants of the surreal world did not bring her harm and she returned from there with the same clear childish understanding of the world. A jump rope is an intertwined cord - an image of the intricacies of fiction and reality. Alice's hands and hair turned into roses, a symbol of blossoming femininity.
Birdman
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1972, first casting - 1981
. Dali combines the incongruous. He attaches the head of a heron to the human figure, thereby turning the man into a half-bird, or perhaps the bird into a half-man. Try to determine who is in charge here - a person or a bird. Does the person appear to be a heron, or is the heron masquerading as a person? Dali loves to play dialectical riddles.
Oath to Fashion
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1971, first casting - 1984
Dali's connection with the world of Haute Couture began in 1930, during his collaboration with Coco Chanel, Elsa Chiaparelli and Vogue magazine, and did not stop until the end of his life. High Fashion is personified by Venus in the pose of a supermodel, whose head is strewn with roses or even created from roses, which were traditionally considered the most exquisite flowers, and are interpreted by Dali as a symbol of femininity. Her face is deliberately devoid of detail to give scope to the imagination of fans. We see a kneeling knight, a couturier, who takes oath to this muse of our time.
Lady Godiva with butterflies
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1976, first casting - 1984
Dali, the great master of surrealism, singled out the image of Lady Godiva as one of his favorites. According to Dali, this sculpture should glorify femininity and sensuality. Heralding the arrival of Godiva, butterflies do not just flutter around her and her noble horse - they become a precious decoration of her body. Lady Godiva embodies earthly beauty. Butterflies symbolize the world of unearthly beauty.
Dance of Time I
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1979, first casting - 1984
The spreading, melting clock is the most recognizable and beloved iconographic image of Dali's surreal world. However, in this sculpture, time is not just amorphous - it dances to the rhythm of the vibrations of the Universe. The usual concept of time is invented by man and therefore serves him, helping to organize the moments of human life. Dali's time is different. It is free from rational restrictions and dances without stopping, indifferent to the needs of people, to their history and even to the cosmos. The image of dancing time is captured in three different forms: Dance of Time I, II and III. Perhaps it is the past, present and future: time has danced, is dancing and will dance.
Dance of Time II.
Dance of Time III
Glorification of Terpsichore.
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Terpsichore is the muse of dance.
We see two surreal dancers moving in symbolic space. The dancer with soft classical forms represents Grace and the Unconscious. Its rhythm is a refined sensuality. The second, with cubic shapes, represents the chaotic rhythm of modern life. Different rhythms have united and dance together, in each of us.
Horse under the saddle of time
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1980
One of the most famous Dalinian images is the image of a horse. This horse also has a saddle in the shape of the famous Dalinian melting clock. Of course, this saddle is not intended for humans. Only time can ride such a beast. The image is filled with expression, eternal non-stop movement, original freedom and insubordination to man.
Surreal Warrior
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1971-1984
The image of the Roman warrior created by Dali is an abstract symbol of victory, be it a real or imaginary victory, a victory of the spirit or a material victory. The hole in the warrior’s chest in this case emphasizes the significance of the victory as such, regardless of what or who it was won over.
Unicorn
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1977-1984
The mythical Unicorn in ancient times was considered a symbol of impeccable purity.
It was believed that his horn had magical powers and could save from any poison. However, in this piquant sculptural composition, the Unicorn symbolizes the acquisition of masculinity. With his horn he pierces a symbolic living barrier, squeezing out a heart-shaped hole in it. Nearby lies a beautiful naked woman who has just been defeated by a mythical beast.
Cosmic Venus
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1977-1984
Dali admires the classically beautiful female forms, but at the same time considers it necessary to “ennoble” them in his own way with symbolic details. The famous soft Dalian watch reminds us of the power of time: the flesh is perishable and the beauty of the body will disappear with it. The beauty of art (true beauty) is eternal and will live forever. The cosmic Venus is cut into two parts, which allows you to see the egg, which here symbolizes endlessly renewed life and perfection. A space that contains true beauty.
Tribute to Newton
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1980
Dali glorifies Newton for discovering the law of universal gravitation. In Dali’s composition, the plastic emotional figure of a person is balanced by the axis of a pendulum, as a symbol of the immutability of the force of universal gravity. Dali chose this image as the main sculpture of the Dali Museum. In May 1986, the King of Spain allocated a large city square in Madrid for the organization of the Dali Museum. Dali created a 4.5-meter-high monument that exactly replicates this image and made it the center of the square’s composition.
Surreal Newton
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1977-1984
Dali repeatedly returned to the image of Newton, paying him the deepest respect as the scientist who discovered the law of universal gravitation. An invariable attribute of this image is an apple, the fall of which, according to legend, prompted Newton to make a great discovery. Dali put the fall of this apple on a par with the seduction of Adam by the apple from the tree of Knowledge. Dali was amused by the thought that it could be the same apple. The two large holes in the figure symbolize oblivion. In the perception of our contemporaries, Newton is just a great name, devoid of individuality (without soul and heart).
Male figure with butterfly
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1968-1984
This elegant sculpture was originally conceived as part of the famous Dalian Tarot series, which was created especially for Gala, the artist's wife and muse.
The hero leaves the world of everyday banality in order to rush into the ephemeral world of the butterfly. A light butterfly will give him wings and help him fly to another reality, where he can throw off daily worries and usual restrictions.
Greatness of Time
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1977-1984
The soft clock is conveniently located on an old tree, this eternal symbol of life. The tree of life is an image of the cyclicality and continuity of life. The crown crowning the clock symbolizes the dominance of time. Nearby are an angel immersed in fruitless thoughts and a woman who peers into the Unknown, hoping to shield herself from it with a veil. Dali thus shows us that time is the supreme ruler, ruling over art and human existence.
Persistence of memory
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1980
This is one of the most famous images created by Dali. A soft watch hangs limply from the branches of a tree. Time is no longer rigid and independent; it has merged with space. Man has no power over time-space, and the clock he invented is no longer able to hold such time.
Saint George and the Dragon
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984
Saint George is the guardian angel of Aragon. In the Middle Ages in Europe, he was considered the patron saint of chivalry. Dali recreates in volume the legendary battle of St. George with the dragon. We also see a woman with her hand raised, symbolizing Victory.
Jubilant Angel
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1976-1984
Dali once said that no idea inspires him as much as the idea of an angel. Since the late forties, when the artist began to weave religious motifs into his works, the image of an angel took a strong place in his work. Unsurpassed in expression - overflowing with divine energy and at the same time light, as if gravity does not affect it - this angel is a lyrical reflection of the world of Dalian fantasies. He selflessly blows the magic trumpet, sending a joyful message to everyone who can hear him.
Woman and Time
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1973-1984
This radiant sculpture reflects Dali's thoughts on beauty and time. The softly draped figure of a charming young woman symbolizes earthly beauty, while the laconically sculpted rose symbolizes heavenly beauty. The famous Dalian watch is an image of time beyond the control of man. In this composition, the clock bent in the shape of a question mark, as if asking what would be stronger - beauty or time? In the posing of the female figure, in the way she casually holds the watch and reverently holds the flower, one can read confidence in the victory of beauty over time.
Vision of an Angel
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze Date: 1977-1984
This sculptural group is dedicated to the unity of man and God. The image of the Creator is represented in this mystical sculpture by the thumb of the right hand, from which all things emerge (like branches from a tree trunk). “The finger of God” is a symbol of divine will, also evokes associations with a tower... Man is also created by God, in his image and strives to become like the creator, but God is omnipotent and man will never be able to surpass him, no matter what knowledge he acquires. The figure of a person, reminiscent of a tree, whose branches reach to the heavens, and whose roots are firmly tied to the earth, reflects the dual essence of man. The angel figure on the side mournfully reflects on the duality of human nature and the futility of human aspirations, which is emphasized by the crutch behind the angel’s back.
Burning Woman
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Date: 1980
This sculpture combines two haunting Dalian images - a living being consumed by fire and a female body with drawers. The flames embody a powerful subconscious desire, while the drawers symbolize the conscious secret life of a woman. A woman is powerless in the face of the passions and vices that overwhelm her. The symbol of powerlessness is a golden crutch supporting the figure from behind. The details of the face are deliberately left undeveloped to emphasize that this is an image not of any specific woman, but of all women - present, past and future.
Space elephant
Method: Lost wax casting
Material: Bronze Date: 1980
This sculpture materializes the iconographic Dalian symbol, which was born in 1946 while the artist was working on one of his most significant paintings, “The Temptation of St. Anthony.” An elephant marches through outer space to deliver an obelisk to heaven, symbolizing technological progress. Of course, long, light legs, like those of a slender giraffe or a nimble insect, are more suitable for moving in space. This delightful sculptural composition embodies a person’s hope for personal happiness and good luck.
Salvador Dali is one of the most controversial artists of the last century, “a magician of dreams, fantasies and hallucinations.” The presented collection of sculptures by Salvador Dali is known on the art market as the Gotham Collection.
It consists of 29 three-dimensional surreal objects. The collection's imagery is well known to admirers of Dali's work from the master's paintings and graphic works.
At first, the wax sculptures were made by Dali himself.
But then the sculptures were created in Dali’s house in Port Ligat.
In 1973, Dali entered into an agreement with the Spanish collector Isidro Clot. Clot purchased wax sculptures and made four series of bronze castings based on them.
Some of the sculptures were subsequently cast in larger sizes.
So, after that we went to Figueres, which is famous, first of all, for the Theater-Museum of the great Salvador Dali - masters of surrealism. Figueres is Dali's hometown, it is located 40 km from France and is considered the second most visited museum in Spain after the Prado in Madrid.
The title photo shows Gala-Salvador Dali square with the facade of the Theater-Museum and a monument to Dali's hand to the Catalan philosopher Francesc Pujols.
Below the cut are photographs of the museum and a lot of text for them. Don't be lazy, please read it, because... perhaps this will shed light on the characteristics of the creative genius of Dali and his masterpieces.
01. Actually, the monument is not only to Pujols himself (his gray bust is installed on the head of Homer), whom Dali revered as a philosopher who opened the world to the Subconscious. In the background, in the form of a figure with an egg head, Dali presumably depicted himself. To the right of the figure is a monument to the hydrogen atom - an element of Dali’s figurative system.
02. Installation by Dali - a giant head with a television in its forehead. The sculpture towering nearby is Wolf Vostel's "Obelisk of Television": 
03. One of three monuments dedicated to the French painter Meyssonnier, mounted on car tires. 
04. A diver in a spacesuit, symbolizing a dive into the subconscious, next to him are figures with a loaf of bread - another favorite symbol of Dali.
The diver perhaps recalls the viewer to one event in Dali’s biography. Once, by invitation, he gave lectures in this form at an American university. During the lecture, something happened to the oxygen supply, Dali began to choke, and only a miracle in the person of one student, who somehow figured out how to remove this spacesuit, saved Dali from death.
05. Courtyard. Statue installation by Dali "Rainy Taxi". The installation represents a Cadillac, inside of which it rains when you drop a coin. On the Cadillac stands a figure of Queen Esther by Austrian sculptor Ernst Fuchs, who is pulling a pillar made of car tires. The whole composition is crowned by the Gala Boat (named after Dali’s wife and muse - Gala, or Elena Dyakonova). The drops falling from the bottom of the boat are said to be condoms filled with blue paint. 
06. Boat Gala, black umbrella. Behind is the geodesic dome of the museum. 
07. The car is a frequent iconographic element in Dali's work, it combines fossil matter and something from recent human history. Dali claimed that only 6 of these machines were made. and attributed the ownership of one of them to Al Capone (the famous “godfather”), explaining the broken glass in the exhibit on display at the museum. allegedly as an act of vandalism. According to the artist, one of the cars belonged to Roosevelt, one to Clark Gable, etc. And this 4th copy of the car was given by Dali to his wife Gala. Inside the Cadillac, rain continuously drips from a complex network of pipes, much to the delight of the grape snails that keep company with a couple of mannequins and their driver. 
08. The courtyard is also installed with statues made in the manner (or maybe deliberately) of Oscar statues, which greet their viewers. Here are grotesque monsters between the central windows of the courtyard. 
09. These sculptural groups of fantastic creatures emerging from the darkness are composed of many different elements: snails, stones from Cape Creus, felled branches, fragments of gargoyles from the nearby Church of St. Peter, the whale skeleton, the stone horn, the drawers (also Dali’s favorite symbol in working with the subconscious) - this entire sculpture represents the masculine principle. 
10. "Nude Gala looking out to sea, which at a distance of 18 meters transforms into a portrait of Abraham Lincoln." Here Dali acts as an innovator of the idea of a double image. 
11. Author's copy on fabric of the painting "The Hallucinogenic Bullfighter", here Dali again resorts to the idea of a double image. 
12. One of Dali’s many installations. A biblical theme is visible in the form of a crucified figure. Along the edges of the bust is Catalan bread of a bizarre shape, which is visible in many of Dali’s works, including in the exterior decoration of the theater-museum. 
13. The stage of the municipal theater (and previously there was a theater here, which was then donated to Dali by the local authorities) is crowned by a striking transparent dome, which has become a symbol of the Theater-Museum and of Figueres as a whole. The architect of this “geodesic dome”, reminiscent of the structure of a fly’s eye (Dali’s favorite insect in his works as a symbol of paranoia), was Emilio Pineiro. The dome is unique in its design; it creates a play of mirror reflections and is a symbol of unity and monarchy, according to Dali. 
14. “The Phantom of Sexual Attraction” (one of Dali’s first surrealist works). The artist often used this technique - a huge pompous frame and a small image in comparison with it. In the lower right part, Dali depicted himself as a child in a sailor suit, looking at a huge monster, soft and hard at the same time. For the artist, this image symbolized sexuality. The background is the hyper-realistic landscape of Cape Creus. The significant presence of crutches should also be noted; for Dali this is a symbol of death and resurrection. 
15. Mae West Hall. In the center is a popular three-dimensional installation dedicated to this American actress. The eyes of the image are enlarged, retouched photographs of pointillist paintings with views of Paris; the nose is a fireplace with logs, the famous sofa-lips. Other elements include a fan with a clock, an antique clock, two jugs, a Venus de Milo and a giraffe neck and drawers. 
16. In order for the entire composition to turn into a three-dimensional image of the actress’s face, you need to climb the steps to the camel and look into the lens suspended from the camel’s belly. 
17. Also in this room: a bathroom on the ceiling, turned upside down: 
18. On the left is a giant wig - Mae West's hair, it was included in the Guinness Book of Records as the largest wig ordered by Dali from a famous hairdresser. 
19. And here is the actual image that viewers see through a lens suspended from a camel: 
20. Dali was a multi-talented person and also tried his hand at designing display windows for various stores. This display case is called "Retrospective Female Bust". The artist supplemented this bust with ants, corn cobs, a ribbon from an antique zoetrope projection apparatus, a loaf of bread with a bronze inkstand (a hint of the profession of a lawyer, which his father was) and figures from the painting “Angelus” by Millet, so common in Dali’s figurative system. The role of the pedestal is played by a hand in a black glove, around which another hand made of white paraffin is wrapped. The display is completed with a shark jaw, a skeleton of a flying fish, a real spoon with an illusory plastic cup and an ambiguous rhinoceros horn. 
21. In the second showcase, Dali creates an ensemble of images; against the background of the same pheasant feathers, a jacket from Coco Chanel and sculptures stand out - “Flower of Evil” in the form of a glass paste jug with feet inserted into it (one is paraffin, the other is an anatomical model) and mythological brothers Dioscuri, Castor and Pollux. sons of Zeus and Leda (here they are presented in the form of 2 figurines, the round tops of which are made from casts of the butts of babies). It should be noted that Dali himself always identified himself with Zeus, and Gala with Leda. As is known from Greek mythology, they were brother and sister. So Dali had similar feelings for Gala all his life and considered it blasphemous to violate them with carnal desire. 
22. Dali claimed that the view of the stage or courtyard with the Rainy Taxi installation (as in this case) from the gallery windows was one of the main pleasures given to him by the Theater-Museum. 
23. One of Dali’s graphic works. What attracted me to it was that Dali boldly balances between masculine and feminine, boldly weaving gender symbols into the canvas of the painting. 
24. Hall "Palace of the Wind". This room was especially dear to Dali, because here for the first time, being 14 years old, he exhibited his works and received a lot of praise in the press. The first thing that catches your eye in this room is the delightful painting on the ceiling. Dali said that this picture is fraught with a paradox: the spectators looking up seem to see clouds, the sky and 2 figures rising into the air (Dali and Gala) - in fact, this is a purely theatrical effect, since instead of the sky we see the earth, and instead of land there is a sea, embodied in the bend of the Bay of Rosas. And, Dali adds, in the center, where the sun should have been, there is a hole, and in it there is deep night, and from the depths of the human subconscious a submarine emerges. The edges of the picture are elements of Dali's most significant works, his symbols and signs. (They are not visible here) 
25. Entrance to Dali’s working studio. On the right is a bust of Velazquez, one of Dali's favorite artists, whom he always admired. In the middle is a graphic portrait of Gala. On the ceiling there is a panel "Palace of the Wind" with elements of Dali's figurative system (see previous photo). 
26. Dali Studio. His workshop dedicated to the theme of the Eternally Feminine. In the center of the room is “Nude” by William Adolphe Bouguereau, known as a salon and academic artist. Above the sculpture, a distinctive modernist-style lamp attracts attention with the head of the blindfolded goddess Fortune rising above everything on a spiral of teaspoons suspended from the ceiling. 
27. In the corner of the room on an easel there are 2 paintings - “Galatea of the Spheres” and “Portrait of Gala with Symptoms of Birth”, dating back to the period of nuclear mysticism. 
28. Fortune with spoons. 
29. Bedroom. On the wall is a tapestry from the painting “The Persistence of Memory,” located in the Museum of Modern Art in New York. In his autobiography, “The Secret Life of Salvador Dali,” the artist describes Gala’s reaction when she first saw this painting: “I closely watched Gala’s face and saw how her surprise turned into admiration. This convinced me that the new image makes an impression, because Gala always unmistakably identified the real mystery. I asked her:
- Do you think that in 3 years you will remember this picture?
Once you see it, you won't forget it."
30. Millet's painting "Angelus". Elements of this painting have already been seen on a bust in a designed display case called "Retrospective Female Bust". It was not for nothing that Dali introduced them into his work, but... he used them for a slightly different purpose. The fact is that the artist depicted a man and woman praying in his painting. While working in the field, they paused and performed the usual ritual of prayer for that time. A church can be seen in the background. But Dali would not have been Dali if he had not seen a secret meaning in this harmless picture. He conducted extensive research and came to the conclusion that a woman, standing in a certain position, stands in the same way as a female praying mantis, which, after mating with her male, kills him. So Dali decided that a woman and a man bowed down before sexual intercourse, after which the man’s fate was sealed. 
31. Here are Dali's documentary research on his theory of the female praying mantis and the figure of a woman in Millet's painting. 
32. “If it falls, it falls.” Still life in the Dutch style, bought by the artist in Paris and “Dalinized”. The artist made an allegory out of this still life as a sign of his gratitude to his friend, the Catalan philosopher Francesc Pujols. The changes made by Dali are clearly visible on the canvas, and the inscription on the table is Pujols’ phrase - “If it falls, it falls.” This phrase, which gave the name to the painting, ended an extensive and complex philosophical text that greatly interested Dali. According to some artists, here Dali prophetically wrote the date of his death (on the dial of the melted clock) - 01/23/1989. 
33. Hall "Lodge", dedicated to optical tricks - stereoscopy, anamorphosis and holography. 
34. And once again “Retrospective female bust” with figures from Millet’s “Angelus” and ants on the face. Dali considered such a female bust ideal and was horrified by the magnificent size of the bust. Eyewitnesses even claimed that Dali fainted at the sight of the huge bust. 
35. The stage of the theater-museum with a huge panel “Labyrinth” based on the myth of Theseus and Ariadne. This work was the setting for a series of Diaghilev ballets, which were successfully staged in New York. Here Dali’s theatricality is most obvious: in the center the bust is a man-mountain (his head casts the same shadow as the mountain casts) with a through opening in the chest. Behind is the landscape of Cape Creus, invariably present in Dali’s paintings. The creator of this entire theater-museum is buried under this stage. We were not allowed into the small dark room adjacent to the women's toilet that day. Salvador Dali's coffin is placed in the wall. And on it is a small white tombstone with the inscription: "Salvador Dali Domenech Marques de Dali de Pubol 1904 - 1989".
During his lifetime, Dali was given the title of Marquis.
36.
37. "Portrait of Beethoven, painted with 2 octopuses and Dali's toe." Dali took 2 octopuses, dipped them in paint and simply threw them on the canvas, they crawled, wriggled and left their bizarre marks on the canvas. And then Dali simply completed the portrait. 
38. Dali installation under a geodesic dome. 
39. Once again the installation "Rainy Taxi" and a view of the stage behind. 
40. Tower of Galatea, made by Dali especially for the Gala. On the facade is the same Catalan bread that I already mentioned. Eggs - refer to the ancient Greek epic that the children of Zeus and Leda were born from eggs. However, in Dali they can be interpreted both as the birth of a new life and as his inextricable, “identical” connection with Gala. His eternal muse, after whose death his life lost all meaning. 
I hope you don't get bored with Dali;)
From myself I can say that Dali, although not my favorite artist, is a genius and an amazingly able-bodied person. Living your life like this, as if every day you are playing a surreal play that only you understand, is not so easy.
In the next post, Spanish Tarragona - a cozy town in Catalonia!
The magnificent capital of Andorra, Andorra la Vella, is a major tourist destination. The best historical monuments are collected here, including the sculpture of Salvador Dali, which is called “Noble Time” or “Nobility of Time”.
History and architecture
The main square of the kingdom of Andorra - the Rotunda of Andorra la Vella has a very valuable artistic decoration, the author of which is the world-famous sculptor Salvador Dali. In the very center of the capital square there is a sculpture depicted in the form of a tree. The peak part of the tree is decorated with a crown, which is a symbol of time over humanity. The five-meter sculpture displays a melting clock that is slowly sliding towards the root system. The base of the tree has strong roots, which symbolizes our strong foundation. But, despite the powerful base and the symbol of power located at the top, the middle is subject to time. There are two silhouettes on both sides of the sculpture. One of them is an angel, sadly bowing his head over lost time. This sculpture concerns each of us and is a kind of signal for us to rationally use our time that is allotted to us on earth. As for the monument itself, it is an exact copy of the work of the great master Salvador Dali. The Principality of Andorra received this gift from philanthropist Enric Sabatero, who was a close friend and confidant of Salvador Dali from 1968 to 1982. Andorran Minister Antoni Armenlog described this gift as the most outstanding architectural structure, which will attract additional attention of city guests. Analogues of this creation of the great master can be found in many famous European cities. For example, in London, Berlin, Vienna, Paris, Courchevel and so on. The sculpture of Salvador Dali has become a real pearl, which is located in an unexpected place, since uninformed tourists can come across it completely unexpectedly and take a souvenir photo against its background.
Architecture
The sculpture of Salvador Dali is made of bronze. This is one of many works that belong to the Passage of Time series. Salvador Dali decided to create an entire collection according to this theme, since the theme of time has been and will be relevant at all times. The monument is located on a low pedestal and is surrounded on four sides by a low fence made of chrome pipes. During the hot period of time, this sculpture takes on a new life, since the scorching sun overhead is the exact factor that melts absolutely everything in its path.
Neighborhood
In Andorra la Vella there are a lot of wonderful places that are worth visiting during your holiday: the Comic Museum, the National Automobile Museum, the Casa de la Vall, the Perfume Museum, the Church of St. Armenol, the Church of St. Andrew, the Church of St. Vincent d'Enclar, Lake Estany -del Estani. Many tourists choose Andorra to combine business with pleasure, as it is a duty-free trade zone. Here you can purchase quality products at affordable prices. The best place to do your shopping is on Meritsel Avenue. This is where all the best brand stores and shopping centers are concentrated.
Note to tourists
The sculpture of Salvador Dali is located outdoors, so guests of the capital of Andorra can visit this landmark at any time convenient for them.
From May 25, an exhibition of bronze sculptures by the most famous surrealist Salvador Dali opens in Erarta. The gallery brought the collection of Benjamino Levi, Dali's friend and patron. It was he who suggested that the artist cast fantasy images from his paintings in bronze. We tell you what to see in the exhibition and how to understand the artist’s work.
"Adam and Eve"
One of the earliest (among those presented) works. The original gouache on paper was made in 1968, and the sculpture was cast in 1984. Dali depicts the most dramatic moment in Eden: Eve invites Adam to taste the forbidden fruit. He, not yet knowing how his fall into sin will turn out for humanity, raises his hand in amazement and indecision. Aware of the impending expulsion from paradise, the snake tries to comfort the doomed (and soon mortal) people and curls into the shape of a heart, reminding Adam and Eve that they still have love. And it is something whole, which is always greater than the sum of its individual parts.
"The Nobility of Time"
One of the most widely replicated images invented by Dali: a clock thrown over the branch of a dead tree. For a surrealist, time is not linear - it merges with space. The softness of the clock also hints at the psychological perception of time: when we are bored or uncomfortable, it moves slower. The weak-willed clock no longer shows time, no longer measures its passage. This means that the speed of our time depends only on us.
The clock falls on a dead tree, the branches of which have already given birth to new life, and the roots have covered the stone. The tree trunk also serves as a support for the clock. The term "watch crown" in English also refers to the mechanical device that allows you to set the hands and wind the watch. But according to Dali's clock it is unchanged - it cannot be established. Without movement, the “crown” becomes royal, which adorns the clock and indicates that time does not serve people, but rules over them. He is accompanied by two recurring fantastic symbols: a contemplating angel and a woman wrapped in a shawl. Time reigns over both art and reality.
"Alice in Wonderland"
Like Carroll's heroine, Dali, armed with a creative imagination, traveled along a difficult and long road in the land of dreams. The artist was attracted by the incredible plot and extravagant characters of the fairy tale. Alice is an eternal child, capable of comprehending the absurd logic of both Wonderland and Beyond. In the sculpture, her jump rope has been transformed into a braided cord, symbolizing everyday life. Roses bloomed on her hands and in her hair, personifying feminine beauty and eternal youth. And the peplum dress is reminiscent of ancient examples of perfection of form.
"Tribute to fashion"
Dali's relationship with high fashion began in the 1930s through his work with Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Vogue magazine and continued throughout his life. The head of Venus, frozen in a supermodel pose, is decorated with roses - a symbol of innocence. Her face is featureless, allowing the admirer to imagine the face he wishes. He is a “dandy” and is on one knee in front of her.
"Adoration of Terpsichore"
The muse of dance in Dali’s interpretation creates two mirror images: a soft figure is contrasted with a hard and frozen one. The absence of facial features emphasizes the symbolic sound of the composition. The dancer, with her flowing classical forms, represents Grace and the unconscious, while the angular, cubist second figure speaks of the ever-growing and chaotic rhythm of life.
"Snail and Angel"
The sculpture refers to the artist’s meeting with Sigmund Freud, whom he considered his spiritual father. Psychoanalytic ideas that influenced Dali in the early stages of the development of surrealism were reflected in many works. A snail perched on the seat of a bicycle that stood not far from Freud’s house captured Dali’s imagination. He saw in it a human head - the very founder of psychoanalysis.
Dali was obsessed with the image of the snail because it contains a paradoxical combination of softness (the animal's body) with hardness (its shell). Therefore, the generally accepted symbol of idle pastime receives wings from him and easily moves along the waves. And the messenger of the gods, capable of developing limitless speed, sat down for a short moment on the back of the snail, endowing it with the gift of movement.
"Vision of an Angel"
Salvador Dali interprets the classic religious image. The thumb from which life arises (tree branches) symbolizes the power and dominance of the Absolute. On the right side of the deity is humanity: a man in the prime of his life. On the left side is an angel symbolizing the spirit of contemplation; his wings rest on a crutch. Although man is united with God, divine knowledge is superior to his own.
In Paris, in the heart of bustling Montmartre, there is the cradle of surrealism, a small but very cozy museum of the Spanish artist, writer and director, the brilliant Salvador Dali - a haven for tourists, art critics and free artists. The museum displays more than three hundred works by the author, mostly engravings, photographs and sculptures. By the way, the Dali Museum contains the largest collection of his sculptures in Europe.
The exhibition appeared in Montmartre not by chance. Dali often visited Paris both in his student and more mature years, already having world fame behind him. Parisian meetings and acquaintances played a huge role in shaping the author’s worldview and his further work. It was here, in Montmartre, that Dali met Picasso and, impressed by his works, became fascinated by the “cubic quirks” of the new direction in painting. After this acquaintance, the author often turned to the “cubism” style in his works.
Museum decoration
The Salvador Dali Museum welcomes not only local residents, but also foreign visitors. A printed guide or audio guide is offered for them in several languages, including Russian; annotations for many exhibits are not only in French, but also translated into English. You can start the tour by watching an introductory film about Dali, his life and work. Even a person who is not familiar with the author’s work will understand a lot after watching the film.
The mystical halls of the museum are decorated in the style of surrealism in such a way that they perfectly convey the extraordinary personality of the author himself. The exhibition is accompanied by sound design that reproduces the voice of Salvador Dali and very strange music that matches his work.
"Dali's Universe"
Salvador Dali had a special weakness for sculpture, because only with the help of a three-dimensional image can you recreate your vision of the theme as clearly as possible. The museum, under the general name “Dali’s Universe”, consonant with the name of the author’s permanent exhibition in London, presents such famous voluminous works by Salvador Dalí as “Profile of Time”, “Snail and Angel”, “Alice in Wonderland”, “Homage to Terpsichore” ", "Space Venus", "St. George and the Dragon", "Vision of an Angel", "Space Elephant" and even a sofa in the shape of the lips of actress Mae West. All sculptures are expressive and amazing, filled with philosophical meaning and the essence of the author’s worldview.
"Time Profile"
One of Dali's greatest works is “Profile of Time”. What did the author want to tell us by creating this masterpiece? Man is subject to time, time is not subject to anyone or anything, it flows inexorably, and everyone must go their own way.
"Vision of an Angel"
A man with branches instead of arms that strive upward towards the creator, and his legs-roots are firmly connected to the ground. And there is nothing we can do about our dual nature. The angel mourns, sitting aside and contemplating our hopelessness.
"Cosmic Venus"
The body of Venus is divided into parts - this is its all-encompassing essence, it is the universe, bearing the entire weight of existence on its broad shoulders.
And again on the sculpture there is a clock, as a symbol of passing time and aging, and then there is an egg - a symbol of endlessly regenerating life.
"Snail and Angel"
In the sculpture “Snail and Angel” the snail is represented as a symbol of the slow passage of time, the course of which even an angel cannot speed up; in his hands is a crutch - a symbol of powerlessness. The spiral snail shell symbolizes the infinity of time.
The image of a snail was Dali’s favorite; the author used it to convey not only time. First of all, it was for him an image of ideal harmony of masculine and feminine principles, love and perfection. In the Paris museum, many of the author's works carry this meaningful element, such as fancy cutlery.
Engravings by Dali
The museum houses a complete collection of Dali's lithographs and engravings. Of particular interest are lithographs of famous literary works. For example, the “Romeo and Juliet” series is an emotional illustration for Shakespeare’s work of the same name, each of which is personally signed by the author; or engravings for Don Quixote, created by the author in an endless experiment; images from “Tristan and Isolde”, from “Alice in Wonderland” and from other works that Dali was once interested in.
At the end of the exhibition you can see amazing photos of Salvador Dali and some interesting answers from the author to the interview.
Dali's work is very unique. Paradoxical combinations of incompatible forms, bizarre images, sometimes even chaotic, and “allusive” allusions to his own vision of the world and life are reflected in almost all of the author’s works.
Each work of Salvador Dali is individual and requires internal comprehension, so the Paris exhibition will be of interest to any visitor. And at the exit from the museum you can look into the souvenir gallery and buy a piece of “Dali’s Universe” as a souvenir.
How to get there
Address: 11 Rue Poulbot, Paris 75018Telephone: +33 1 42 64 40 10
Website: daliparis.com
Metro: Abbesses
Opening hours: 10:00-18:00
Ticket price
- Adult: 11.50 €
- Reduced: 7.50 €
- Child: 6.50 €
