Desert Landscape 1944 - 1945

This strange and surreal desert landscape was composed by Salvador Dalí with oil paint. At first glance, it feels like a black and white photograph, but look closer, and you will see how Dali has worked with tone, using subtle grey washes to conjure a dreamlike and otherworldly scene. There's something about the texture that makes it feel like a memory, hazy and not quite graspable, doesn’t it? I am drawn to the figure on the right. It's made of cloud-like forms, soft and ethereal, but it also has a solidity to it. It reminds me of the way dreams can feel so real, even though they are made of nothing but our own thoughts and emotions. Dali reminds me of another great surrealist, Giorgio de Chirico. Both artists invite us to wander through ambiguous, dreamlike landscapes that feel familiar and strange all at once. And, just like dreams, these paintings are open to endless interpretations, full of hidden meanings and personal associations.