Surrealism: an Analysis of Salvador Dalí’s Metamorphosis of Narcissus
Patrick Lundy
Prof. Heise
Art 150
13 April 2011
Surrealism: An Analysis of Salvador Dalí’s
Metamorphosis of Narcissus
According to The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Surrealism is “a movement in art…aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control.” Beginning in the early 1920s, members of the surrealist movement allowed the thoughts and visions of the subconscious mind to inspire them. Surrealist paintings often portrayed familiar objects in a strange or mysterious manner to force the viewer to think about their art in a different manner than traditional paintings. One of the most famous surrealist painters is Salvador Dalí and one of his most popular productions is the Metamorphosis of Narcissus.
Surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí of Catalonia, painted the famous artwork Metamorphosis of Narcissus in 1937 with oil paint on a canvas. The painting, from Dali’s Paranoiac-critical period, is based on the story of Narcissus in Greek mythology. According to columnist Rosa Maria Maurell i Constans’ article “Dalí and the Myth of Narcissus” published in the Barcelonan newspaper El Punt on 25 December 2005, Dali’s painting most resembles Ovid’s version of the Narcissus story, Metamorphoses. Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water and remained there the rest of his life; at the scene of his death, a narcissus flower arose. This exact scene is recreated in Dali’s artwork but with the addition of his own imagery.
While the story of Narcissus features a male as the main character, Dali’s depiction of Narcissus does not feature a specific gender. Long hair is the only detail revealed to the audience about the faceless, seated figure of Narcissus. While there is a reflection of Narcissus in the pool he is slightly submerged in, a second reflection is present in the painting. This second reflection represents Narcissus’ metamorphism into a hand. This skeletal hand takes
Prof. Heise
Art 150
13 April 2011
Surrealism: An Analysis of Salvador Dalí’s
Metamorphosis of Narcissus
According to The American Heritage New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Surrealism is “a movement in art…aimed at expressing imaginative dreams and visions free from conscious rational control.” Beginning in the early 1920s, members of the surrealist movement allowed the thoughts and visions of the subconscious mind to inspire them. Surrealist paintings often portrayed familiar objects in a strange or mysterious manner to force the viewer to think about their art in a different manner than traditional paintings. One of the most famous surrealist painters is Salvador Dalí and one of his most popular productions is the Metamorphosis of Narcissus.
Surrealist painter, Salvador Dalí of Catalonia, painted the famous artwork Metamorphosis of Narcissus in 1937 with oil paint on a canvas. The painting, from Dali’s Paranoiac-critical period, is based on the story of Narcissus in Greek mythology. According to columnist Rosa Maria Maurell i Constans’ article “Dalí and the Myth of Narcissus” published in the Barcelonan newspaper El Punt on 25 December 2005, Dali’s painting most resembles Ovid’s version of the Narcissus story, Metamorphoses. Narcissus fell in love with his reflection in a pool of water and remained there the rest of his life; at the scene of his death, a narcissus flower arose. This exact scene is recreated in Dali’s artwork but with the addition of his own imagery.
While the story of Narcissus features a male as the main character, Dali’s depiction of Narcissus does not feature a specific gender. Long hair is the only detail revealed to the audience about the faceless, seated figure of Narcissus. While there is a reflection of Narcissus in the pool he is slightly submerged in, a second reflection is present in the painting. This second reflection represents Narcissus’ metamorphism into a hand. This skeletal hand takes
Bibliography: Gill, N.s. "Narcissus and Echo in Ovid 's Metamorphoses." Ancient / Classical History - Ancient Greece & Rome & Classics Research Guide. Web. Apr. 2011. . Heyd, Milly. "Dali 's Metamorphosis of Narcissus Reconsidered." Artibus Et Historiae 5.10 (1984): 121-31. JSTOR. Web. . Maurell I Constans, Rosa M. "Dalí and the Myth of Narcissus." El Punt [Barcelona] 25 Dec. 2005. Centre For Dalinian Studies. Web. . Surrealism. (n.d.). The American Heritage® New Dictionary of Cultural Literacy, Third Edition. Retrieved April 2011, from Dictionary.com website: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/surrealism