However, the figure, which has human characteristics such as eyelashes as well as a free-form shape signifies metamorphosis, as do the clocks that are morphing from solid to liquid. Metamorphosis is a key concept in the Surrealist movement, reflecting the transformative power of dreams. The Persistence of Memory alludes to the influence of scientific advances during Dali's lifetime.
The stark yet dreamlike scenery reflects a Freudian emphasis on the dream landscape while the melted watches may refer to Einstein's Theory of Relativity, in which the scientist references the distortion of space and time. The pocket watches are not the only references to time in the painting. The sand refers the sands of time and sand in the hourglass.
The ants have hourglass-shaped bodies. The shadow that looms over the scene suggests the passing of the sun overhead, and the distant ocean may suggest timelessness or eternity. The painting, which Dali completed in , has made its home in the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City for more than 80 years, having been donated in by an anonymous patron.
Three of the clocks in the painting may symbolize the past, present and future, which are all subjective and open to interpretation, while the fourth clock, which lies face-down and undistorted, may symbolize objective time.
The egg that lays on the distant shore is symbolic of life, which, like memory, has the potential to persist despite the breakdown or distortion of time. The egg also epitomizes the artist's obsession with the juxtaposition of hard and soft during his Surrealist period. Dali's painting combines three art genres: the still life, the landscape and the self-portrait. A somewhat similar self-portrait appears in an earlier Dali work entitled The Great Masturbator.
However, in The Persistence of Memory , the figure appears to be either dead or sleeping. The denuded, broken branch in the painting, which art experts identify as an olive tree in the context of other Dali artworks, represents the demise of ancient wisdom as well as the death of peace, reflecting the political climate between the two World Wars as well as the unrest leading to the Spanish Civil War in Dali's native country. All Rights Reserved. Toggle navigation Salvador Dali.
Persistence of Memory, by Salvador Dali The Persistence of Memory Before joining the Surrealist group formally in , Salvador Dali imbued his work with a sense of the fantastic and the extraordinary, personified in the work of the Old Masters such as Hieronymus Bosch and in his own time by Giorgio de Chirico. This may be the abandoned home Dali left behind and has not revisited since his youth. A watch hangs on a tree branch like laundry left on the line hung out to dry, forgotten.
As Dali notes, the withered olive tree branches are not leafy or flowering, but cut back and dried out. Who is that sleeping in the foreground of the painting? On close inspection, the sleeping white figure in The Persistence of Memory boasts facial hair that doubles as both eyelashes and as a recognizable moustache. Is that in fact Salvador Dali?
An almost fetal figure absurdly sporting a full moustache, this strange being does not seem to be fully formed, and is left noticeably wispy at the edges by the artist.
Painted when Dali was just twenty-seven years old, this amorphous figure may represent his view of himself as a young artist, caught in a perpetual state between maturity and immaturity, childhood and adulthood, birth and death.
Its iconic "melting clocks" have become an icon of Surrealism and one of the most recognizable pieces of art of the twentieth century. While the painting's true secret meaning is uncertain, Salvador Dali most likely knowingly encrypted all of these layers of historical, artistic, social and autobiographical meaning into this mysterious, enduring work of art.
There may be even more layers of meaning hidden in The Persistence of Memory that we haven't found yet. Spanish, The Persistence of Memory. Photograph taken in What is the meaning of the painting American Gothic by Grant Wood? Interpretation and analysis of this famous example of 20th century American regional art. The painting is explained in this interpretation and analysis. What is the meaning of The Scream painting by Edvard Munch? The Scream meaning, art analysis and interpretation.
What does Starry Night Over the Rhone mean? The meaning of Starry Night is often debated and analyzed, but less attention is given to the meaning behind Starry Night Over the Rhone, one of Van Gogh's first starry night paintings.
Vincent Van Gogh's Starry Night is one of the most famous pieces of art today. But what is the true meaning of Van Gogh's masterpiece? What is the meaning of Guernica, the mural by Pablo Picasso? Spain and bullfighting influence the meaning of this famous anti war painting.
The futurist movement in particular was dedicated to capturing both time and motion in art, creating paintings of movement. Art Resources Limited. All rights reserved. Unauthorised use and reproduction of the copywritten texts and images contained in this website is prohibited, without permission in writing from the publishers.
Whilst every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of this website, I. Art Resources and its affiliated agents cannot accept responsibility for any errors contained within.
0コメント