Chevauchée céleste 1957

Salvador Dalí made this painting called Chevauchée céleste, using smooth, almost airbrushed oil paint to create a dreamlike vision, somewhere between reality and fantasy. The colours are muted, almost pastel-like, and the way the light hits the figures gives them an ethereal quality. It’s like looking at a memory, slightly faded but still vivid. I love how Dalí pays attention to detail, like the texture of the rhino's skin, which contrasts with the smooth, almost porcelain-like skin of the woman riding it. Take a look at the legs of the rhino, they're so spindly and delicate, like they could snap at any moment, and they cast these long, surreal shadows. There’s a beautiful, almost melancholic feeling about this painting. Dali has been an influence of so many artists ever since, especially those trying to create surreal worlds that challenge our perception of reality. It reminds me of de Chirico's dreamscapes, but with a touch of the bizarre. It's like he's inviting us to enter his own personal dream world.