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Madonna in particles
Salvador Dali • Painting, 1952
Description of the artwork «Madonna in particles»
"Madonna in Particles" - a picture painted by Salvador Dali during the period of "nuclear mysticism". The tests of atomic weapons in Hiroshima and Nagasaki in 1945 left such a deep imprint on the artist's fragile psyche that it became the starting point in a new era of his work.
One of the first swallows was the painting “Splitting the atom (Dematerialization under Nero's nose)"- she presented the world with Dali's fresh handwriting. Frightening surreal twists gave way to classical motives in symmetrical decorations, there was a tendency to place objects against the forces of gravity, as if in zero gravity, and their splitting into separate components became the personification of a nuclear reaction.
Dali in earnest, with his inherent exaltation, was carried away by the study of the latest physical theories, including in the field of quantum physics. It was rumored that he even stopped drinking alcohol to keep his brain in good shape for a deeper comprehension of the exact sciences. At the same time, he began to declare his conversion to religion - for Dali there were no incongruous areas of interest.
In October 1950, a month after the death of his father - another event that apparently greatly impressed the artist - he gave a lecture in Barcelona. He made a loud statement that not only turned his gaze to Catholicism, but also declared his penchant for mysticism: "I was a blasphemer, but became a mystic."
The subsequent works reflected Dali's new worldview: “Disintegration of memory persistence"(1952 - 1954),"Ultramarine-corpuscular Ascension"(1952 - 1953),"Atomic cross"(1952) and the like. From under his brush, numerous Madonnas with the face of Gala began to appear, fragmented into parts and hovering in the air, written in an unusually realistic manner (1, 2). And some of them disintegrated into very small components, while maintaining a recognizable image, as in the case of "Madonna in Particles".
The picture evokes an alarming feeling: it is reinforced by the gloomy clouds that surrounded the Virgin Mary, and the absence of her face. And the very image of the Madonna disintegrating into separate fragments seems to undermine some strong foundations in the consciousness, unshakable from childhood. Coincidence or not - but such a turbulent atmosphere is typical only for those works of Dali of the period of "nuclear mysticism", where for the Mother of God he did not use his dear Gala as a model (1, 2). As if only in her alone he could see a woman, and a goddess, and a mother.
The author: Natalia Azarenko
One of the first swallows was the painting “Splitting the atom (Dematerialization under Nero's nose)"- she presented the world with Dali's fresh handwriting. Frightening surreal twists gave way to classical motives in symmetrical decorations, there was a tendency to place objects against the forces of gravity, as if in zero gravity, and their splitting into separate components became the personification of a nuclear reaction.
Dali in earnest, with his inherent exaltation, was carried away by the study of the latest physical theories, including in the field of quantum physics. It was rumored that he even stopped drinking alcohol to keep his brain in good shape for a deeper comprehension of the exact sciences. At the same time, he began to declare his conversion to religion - for Dali there were no incongruous areas of interest.
In October 1950, a month after the death of his father - another event that apparently greatly impressed the artist - he gave a lecture in Barcelona. He made a loud statement that not only turned his gaze to Catholicism, but also declared his penchant for mysticism: "I was a blasphemer, but became a mystic."
The subsequent works reflected Dali's new worldview: “Disintegration of memory persistence"(1952 - 1954),"Ultramarine-corpuscular Ascension"(1952 - 1953),"Atomic cross"(1952) and the like. From under his brush, numerous Madonnas with the face of Gala began to appear, fragmented into parts and hovering in the air, written in an unusually realistic manner (1, 2). And some of them disintegrated into very small components, while maintaining a recognizable image, as in the case of "Madonna in Particles".
The picture evokes an alarming feeling: it is reinforced by the gloomy clouds that surrounded the Virgin Mary, and the absence of her face. And the very image of the Madonna disintegrating into separate fragments seems to undermine some strong foundations in the consciousness, unshakable from childhood. Coincidence or not - but such a turbulent atmosphere is typical only for those works of Dali of the period of "nuclear mysticism", where for the Mother of God he did not use his dear Gala as a model (1, 2). As if only in her alone he could see a woman, and a goddess, and a mother.
The author: Natalia Azarenko
