Deux vieux avec des barbes, l’une jaune, l’autre brune 1966

These "Deux vieux avec des barbes," or two old men with beards, were made by Salvador Dalí with some kind of paint on paper. He approaches the figures with these big, sweeping brushstrokes, like he’s trying to capture the essence of old age with a few confident gestures. I love how the paint seems to almost drip down the page, especially in the yellow figure. It’s like he’s melting before our eyes, or maybe being washed away by time. The texture is rough and raw, and you can almost feel the energy of Dalí’s hand as he worked. The colors, a mix of brooding grays and surprising yellows, add to the feeling of otherworldliness. Look closely at the beards. They’re painted with such detail. Dalí’s surrealism is all about transformation and the unexpected. These old men seem to straddle the line between reality and dream, inviting us to question what we think we know. It reminds me a bit of Ensor, especially in the use of color. Art is like one big conversation, isn’t it?