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Salvador Dali Persistence of memory (soft clock): description, meaning, history of creation. The Persistence of Memory painting by Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali became famous all over the world thanks to his inimitable surreal style of painting. To the most famous works The author includes his personal self-portrait, where he depicted himself with a neck in the style of Raphael's brush, "Flesh on the Stones", "Enlightened Pleasures", "Invisible Man". However, Salvador Dali wrote The Persistence of Memory, adding this work to one of his most profound theories. This happened at the junction of his stylistic rethinking, when the artist joined the current of surrealism.

"The Persistence of Memory". Salvador Dali and his Freudian theory

The famous canvas was created in 1931, when the artist is in a state of heightened excitement from the theories of his idol, the Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud. IN in general terms the idea of the picture was to convey the artist's attitude to softness and hardness.

Being a very egocentric person, prone to outbursts of uncontrolled inspiration and at the same time carefully comprehending it from the point of view of psychoanalysis, Salvador Dali, like everyone creative personalities, created his masterpiece under the influence of hot summer day. As the artist himself recalls, he was puzzled by the contemplation of how the heat melts him and used to be attracted by the theme of transforming objects into different states, which he tried to convey on canvas. The painting "The Persistence of Memory" by Salvador Dali is a symbiosis of melted cheese with an olive tree standing alone against the backdrop of mountains. By the way, it was this image that became the prototype of soft watches.

Description of the picture

Almost all the works of that period are filled with abstract images. human faces hidden behind the forms of foreign objects. They seem to be hidden from view, but at the same time they are the main acting characters. So the surrealist tried to depict the subconscious in his works. The central figure of the painting "The Persistence of Memory" Salvador Dali made a face that is similar to his self-portrait.

The picture seems to have absorbed all the significant stages in the life of the artist, and also displayed the inevitable future. You can see that in the lower left corner of the canvas you can see a closed clock completely dotted with ants. Dali often resorted to the image of these insects, which for him were associated with death. The shape and color of the clock was based on the artist's memories of one in his childhood home that was broken. By the way, the mountains that can be seen are nothing more than a piece from the landscape of the Spaniard's homeland.

"The Persistence of Memory" Salvador Dali portrayed somewhat devastated. It is clearly seen that all objects are separated by a desert and are not self-sufficient. Art critics believe that by doing this the author tried to convey his spiritual emptiness, which weighed on him at that time. In fact, the idea was to convey human anguish about the passage of time and changes in memory. Time, according to Dali, is infinite, relative and in constant motion. Memory, on the other hand, is short-lived, but its stability should not be underestimated.

Secret images in the picture

“The Persistence of Memory” Salvador Dali wrote in a couple of hours and did not bother to give anyone an explanation about what he wanted to say with this canvas. Many art historians are still building hypotheses around this iconic work of the master, noticing in it only individual symbols that the artist resorted to throughout his life.

Upon closer examination, you can see that the clock hanging from the branch on the left is shaped like a tongue. The tree on the canvas is depicted withered, indicating the destructive aspect of time. This work is small in size, but is considered the most powerful of all that Salvador Dali wrote. "The Persistence of Memory" is certainly the most psychologically deep picture that reveals the author's inner world to the maximum. Perhaps that is why he did not want to comment on it, leaving his admirers to guess.

Painting is the art of expressing the invisible through the visible.

Eugene Fromentin.

Painting, and in particular its "podcast" surrealism, is not a genre understood by everyone. Those who do not understand throw loud words of criticism, and those who understand are ready to give millions for paintings of this genre. Here is the picture, the first and most famous of the surrealists, “Flowing Time” has “two camps” of opinions. Some shout that the picture is unworthy of all the glory that it has, while others are ready to look at the picture for hours and get aesthetic pleasure ...

The picture of the surrealist carries a very deep meaning. And this meaning develops into a problem - aimlessly flowing time.

In the 20th century in which Dali lived, this problem already existed, already ate people. Many did absolutely nothing useful for them and for society. They burned their lives. And in the 21st century, it acquires even greater strength and tragedy. Teenagers do not read, sit at computers and various gadgets aimlessly and without benefit to themselves. On the contrary: to your own detriment. And even if Dali did not assume the significance of his painting in the 21st century, it made a splash and this is a fact.

Now the "leaking time" has become the object of disputes and conflicts. Many deny all significance, deny the very meaning and deny surrealism as art itself. They argue whether Dali had any idea about the problems of the 21st century when he painted a picture in the 20th?

But nevertheless, "flowing time" is considered one of the most expensive and famous paintings by the artist Salvador Dali.

It seems to me that in and in the 20th century there were problems that weighed heavily on the shoulders of the painter. And opening new genre painting, he, with a cry displayed on canvas, tried to convey to people: “do not waste precious time!”. And his call was accepted not as an instructive "story", but as a masterpiece of the genre of surrealism. The meaning is lost in the money that swirls around the flowing time. And this circle is closed. The picture, which, according to the author's assumption, was supposed to teach people not to waste time, became a paradox: it itself began to waste people's time and money in vain. Why does a person need a picture in his house, hanging aimlessly? Why spend a lot of money on it? I do not think that Salvador painted a masterpiece for the sake of money, because when the goal is money, nothing comes out.

“Leaking Time” has been teaching for several generations not to miss, not to waste precious seconds of life just like that. Many appreciate the painting, namely the prestige: they gave Salvador an interest in the surrealism, but they do not notice the cry and the meaning embedded in the canvas.

And now, when it is so important to show people that time is more valuable than diamonds, the picture is more relevant and instructive than ever. But only money revolves around her. It's unfortunate.

In my opinion, schools should have painting lessons. Not just drawing, but painting and the meaning of painting. Show children famous paintings famous artists and reveal to them the meaning of their creations. For the work of artists, who paint in the same way that poets and writers write their works, should not become the goal of prestige and money. I don't think SUCH pictures are drawn for this. Minimalism - yes, stupidity, for which big money is paid. And surrealism in some exhibits. But such paintings as "flowing time", "Malevich's square" and others should not gather dust on someone's walls, but be in museums the center of everyone's attention and reflection. You can argue about the Black Square by Kazimir Malevich for days, what did he mean, and in the painting by Salvador Dali from year to year he finds more and more new interpretations. That's what painting and art in general are for. IMHO, as the Japanese would say.

One of the most famous paintings, written in the genre of surrealism, is "The Persistence of Memory". Salvador Dali, the author of this painting, created it in just a few hours. The canvas is now in New York, in the Museum contemporary art. This small picture, measuring only 24 by 33 centimeters, is the artist's most discussed work.

Name Explanation

Salvador Dali's painting "The Persistence of Memory" was painted in 1931 on a handmade tapestry canvas. The idea of creating this canvas was due to the fact that once, while waiting for the return of his wife Gala from the cinema, Salvador Dali painted an absolutely desert landscape of the sea coast. Suddenly, he saw on the table a piece of cheese melting in the sun, which they ate in the evening with friends. The cheese melted and became softer and softer. Thinking and connecting the long running time with a melting piece of cheese, Dali began to fill the canvas with spreading clocks. Salvador Dali called his work “The Persistence of Memory”, explaining the name by the fact that once you look at the picture, you will never forget it. Another name for the painting is "Flowing hours". This name is associated with the content of the canvas itself, which Salvador Dali put into it.

"The Persistence of Memory": a description of the painting

When you look at this canvas, the unusual placement and structure of the depicted objects immediately catches your eye. The picture shows the self-sufficiency of each of them and the general feeling of emptiness. There are a lot of seemingly unrelated items here, but they all create a general impression. What did Salvador Dali depict in the painting "The Persistence of Memory"? The description of all items takes up quite a lot of space.

The atmosphere of the painting "The Persistence of Memory"

Salvador Dali completed the painting in brown tones. The general shadow lies on the left side and middle of the picture, the sun falls on the back and right side of the canvas. The picture seems to be filled with quiet horror and fear of such calmness, and at the same time, a strange atmosphere fills The Persistence of Memory. Salvador Dali with this canvas makes you think about the meaning of time in the life of every person. About how, can time stop? And can it adapt to each of us? Probably, everyone should give himself the answers to these questions.

It is a known fact that the artist always left notes about his paintings in his diary. However, about the famous painting"The Persistence of Memory" Salvador Dali said nothing. great artist initially understood that by painting this picture, he would make people think about the frailty of being in this world.

The influence of the canvas on a person

Salvador Dali's painting "The Persistence of Memory" was considered by American psychologists, who came to the conclusion that this canvas has a strong psychological effect on certain types human personalities. Many people, looking at this painting by Salvador Dali, described their feelings. Most of the people were immersed in nostalgia, the rest were trying to deal with the mixed emotions of general horror and thoughtfulness caused by the composition of the picture. The canvas conveys feelings, thoughts, experiences and attitudes towards the “softness and hardness” of the artist himself.

Of course, this picture is small in size, but it can be considered one of the greatest and most powerful psychological pictures Salvador Dali. The painting "The Persistence of Memory" carries the greatness of the classics of surrealistic painting.

Artist: Salvador Dali

Picture painted: 1931
Canvas, handmade tapestry
Size: 24×33 cm

Description of the painting "The Persistence of Memory" S. Dali

Artist: Salvador Dali
Name of the painting: "The Persistence of Memory"
Picture painted: 1931
Canvas, handmade tapestry
Size: 24×33 cm

Everything is said and written about Salvador Dali. For example, that he was paranoid, had no connections with real women before the Gala, and that his paintings are incomprehensible. In principle, all this is true, but every fact or fiction from his biography is directly related to the work of a genius (it’s rather problematic to call Dali an artist, and it’s not worth it).

Dali was delirious in his sleep and transferred all this to the canvas. Add to this his confused thoughts, his passion for psychoanalysis, and you get in total pictures that amaze the mind. One of them is “Memory Persistence”, which is also called “Soft Hours”, “Memory Hardness” and “Memory Persistence”.

The history of the appearance of this canvas is directly related to the biography of the artist. Until 1929, in his life there were no hobbies for women, not counting unreal drawings or those that came to Dali in a dream. And then came the Russian emigrant Elena Dyakonova, better known as Gala.

At first, she was known as the wife of the writer Paul Eluard and the mistress of the sculptor Max Ernst, both at the same time. The whole trinity lived under one roof (a direct parallel with Brik and Mayakovsky), shared the bed and sex for three, and it seemed that this situation suited both the men and Gala. Yes, this woman loved hoaxes, as well as sexual experiments, but nevertheless, surrealist artists and writers listened to her, which was very rare. Gala needed geniuses, one of which was Salvador Dali. The couple lived together for 53 years, and the artist stated that he loved her more than her mother, money and Picasso.

Like it or not, we will not know, but the following is known about the painting “Memory Space”, to which Dyakonova inspired the writer. The landscape with Port Ligat was almost painted, but something was missing. Gala went to the cinema that evening, and Salvador sat down at the easel. Within two hours, this picture was born. When the artist's muse saw the painting, she predicted that those who saw it at least once would never forget it.

At an exhibition in New York, the outrageous artist explained the idea of the painting in his own way - by the nature of melted Camembert cheese, combined with the teachings of Heraclitus on measuring time by the flow of thought.

The main part of the picture is the bright red landscape of Port Ligat, the place where he lived. The shore is deserted and explains the emptiness inner world artist. In the distance you can see blue water, and on foreground- dry wood. This, in principle, and all that is clear at first glance. The rest of the images on Dali's creation are deeply symbolic and should be considered only in this context.

Three soft clocks blue color, quietly hanging on the branches of a tree, a man and a cube are symbols of time, which flows non-linearly and arbitrarily. It fills subjective space in the same way. The number of hours means the past, present and future associated with the theory of relativity. Dali himself said that he painted soft watch, since the connection of time and space was not considered something outstanding and "it was the same as any other."

The blurry subject with eyelashes refers you to the fears of the artist himself. As you know, he took subjects for paintings in a dream, which he called the death of the objective world. According to the basics of psychoanalysis and Dali's beliefs, sleep releases what people hide deep within themselves. And therefore, the mollusk-like object is a self-portrait of Salvador Dali, who is sleeping. He compared himself to a hermit oyster and said that Gala managed to save her from the whole world.

The solid clock in the picture symbolizes the objective time that is against us, because it lies face down.

It is noteworthy that the time recorded on each clock is different - that is, each pendulum corresponds to an event that remains in human memory. However, the clock is running and changing the head, that is, memory is able to change events.

The ants in the painting are a symbol of decay associated with the childhood of the artist himself. He saw the corpse of a bat infested with these insects, and since then their presence has become the fix idea of all creativity. Ants crawl over the hard clock like hour and minute hands, so real time kills itself.

Dali called flies "Mediterranean fairies" and considered the insects that inspired Greek philosophers to write their treatises. Ancient Hellas is directly related to the olive, a symbol of the wisdom of antiquity, which no longer exists. For this reason, the olive is depicted dry.

The painting also depicts Cape Creus, which was located near hometown Dali. The surrealist himself considered him the source of his philosophy of paranoid metamorphosis. On the canvas, it has the form of a blue haze of the sky in the distance and brown rocks.

The sea, according to the artist, is an eternal symbol of infinity, an ideal plane for travel. Time there flows slowly and objectively, obeying its inner life.

In the background, near the rocks, there is an egg. This is a symbol of life, borrowed from the ancient Greek representatives of the mystical school. They interpret the World Egg as the progenitor of mankind. From it appeared the androgynous Phanes, who created people, and the halves of the shell gave them heaven and earth.

Another image in the background of the painting is a mirror lying horizontally. It is called a symbol of variability and impermanence, which combines the subjective and objective worlds.

The extravagance and irresistibility of Dali is that his true masterpieces are not paintings, but the meaning hidden in them. The artist defended the right to creative freedom, to the connection between art and philosophy, history and other sciences.

… Modern physicists are increasingly saying that time is one of the dimensions of space, that is, the world that surrounds us does not consist of three dimensions, but of four. Somewhere at the level of our subconscious, a person forms an intuitive idea of a sense of time, but it is difficult to imagine it. Salvador Dali is one of the few people who succeeded, because he was able to interpret the phenomenon that before him could not be revealed and recreated by anyone.

Salvador Dali. The Persistence of Memory. 1931 24x33 cm Museum of Modern Art, New York (MOMA)

A melting clock is a very recognizable image of Dali. Even more recognizable than an egg or a nose with lips.

Remembering Dali, we willy-nilly think about the painting "The Persistence of Memory".

What is the secret of such a success of the picture? Why did she become calling card artist?

Let's try to figure it out. And at the same time, we will carefully consider all the details.

"Permanence of memory" - something to think about

Salvador Dali's many works are unique. Due to the unusual combination of details. It encourages the viewer to ask questions. Why is it all? What did the artist want to say?

The Persistence of Memory is no exception. She immediately provokes a person to think. Because the image of the current watch is very catchy.

But not only the clock makes you think. The whole picture is saturated with many contradictions.

Let's start with color. There are many in the picture brown shades. They are hot, which enhances the feeling of emptiness.

But this hot space is diluted with cold blue. Such are watch dials, the sea and the surface of a huge mirror.

Salvador Dali. Persistence of memory (detail with a dry tree). 1931 Museum of Modern Art, New York

The curvature of the dials and the branches of dry wood are in stark contrast to the straight lines of the table and the mirror.

We also see the opposition of real and unreal things. A dry tree is real, but the clock melting on it is not. The sea is real. But a mirror the size of it is unlikely to be found in our world.

Such a mixture of everything and everything leads to different thoughts. Think about the change in the world. And about the fact that time does not come, but goes. And about the neighborhood of reality and sleep in our lives.

Everyone will think, even if they do not know anything about Dali's work.

Dali's interpretation

Dali himself commented little on his masterpiece. He only said that the image of a melting watch was inspired by cheese spreading in the sun. And when painting a picture, he thought about the teachings of Heraclitus.

This ancient thinker said that everything in the world is changeable and has a dual nature. Well, there is more than enough duality in The Persistence of Time.

But why exactly did the artist name his painting? Maybe because he believed in the permanence of memory. In that, only the memory of some events and people can be preserved, despite the passage of time.

But we don't know the exact answer. This is the beauty of this masterpiece. You can struggle over the riddles of the picture for as long as you like, but you won’t find all the answers.

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On that day in July 1931, Dali had an interesting image of a melting watch in his head. But all other images have already been used by him in other works. They migrated to The Persistence of Memory.

Maybe that's why the film is so successful. Because this is a piggy bank of the most successful images of the artist.

Dali even drew his favorite egg. Although somewhere in the background.

Salvador Dali. Persistence of memory (fragment). 1931 Museum of Modern Art, New York

Of course, on the "Geopolitical Child" it is a close-up. But both there and there, the egg carries the same symbolism - change, the birth of something new. Again, according to Heraclitus.

Salvador Dali. geopolitical child. 1943 Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

In the same fragment of The Persistence of Memory, a close-up shows the mountains. This is Cape Creus near his hometown of Figueres. Dali liked to transfer memories from his childhood to his paintings. So this landscape, familiar to him from birth, roams from picture to picture.

Dali self-portrait

Of course, it still catches the eye strange creature. It is, like a clock, fluid and formless. This is Dali's self-portrait.

We see a closed eye with huge eyelashes. Protruding long and thick tongue. He is clearly unconscious or not feeling well. Still, in such heat, when even the metal melts.

Salvador Dali. Persistence of memory (detail with self-portrait). 1931 Museum of Modern Art, New York

Is this a metaphor for wasted time? Or a human shell that lived its life meaninglessly?

Personally, I associate this head with Michelangelo's self-portrait from the Last Judgment fresco. The master portrayed himself in a peculiar way. In the form of loose skin.

Take similar image– quite in the spirit of Dali. After all, his work was distinguished by frankness, a desire to show all his fears and desires. The image of a man with flayed skin suited him perfectly.

Michelangelo. Terrible Judgment. Fragment. 1537-1541 Sistine Chapel, Vatican

In general, such a self-portrait is a frequent occurrence in Dali's paintings. Close-up we see him on the canvas "The Great Masturbator".

Salvador Dali. Great masturbator. 1929 Reina Sofia Art Center, Madrid

And now we can already draw a conclusion about another secret to the success of the picture. All the pictures given for comparison have one feature. Like many other works of Dali.

juicy details

There is a lot of sexual overtones in Dali's works. You can't just show them to an audience under 16. And you can't depict them on posters either. Otherwise, they will be accused of insulting the feelings of passers-by. How did it happen with reproductions.

But "The Persistence of Memory" is quite innocent. Replicate as much as you want. And in schools, show them in art classes. And print on mugs with T-shirts.

It's hard not to pay attention to insects. A fly sits on one dial. On the inverted red clock - ants.

Salvador Dali. Persistence of memory (detail). 1931 Museum of Modern Art, New York

Ants are also frequent guests in the master's paintings. We see them on the same "Masturbator". They swarm on locusts and around the mouth.

Salvador Dali. Great masturbator (fragment). 1929 Salvador Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, USA

Ants in Dali were associated with decay and death after an extremely unpleasant incident in childhood. One day he saw ants eating the corpse of a bat.

It is precisely for this that the artist depicted them on the clock. Like eating time. The fly is most likely depicted with the same meaning. This is a reminder to people that time is running out without a return.