The artwork “Invention of the Monsters” was created by the artist Salvador Dali in 1937. Executed in oil on canvas, this piece measures 51.4 by 78.1 centimeters and embodies the genre of symbolic painting within the Surrealist movement. The artwork is currently housed at the Art Institute of Chicago, located in Chicago, Illinois, United States.
Salvador Dali’s “Invention of the Monsters” depicts a dream-like landscape filled with disjointed and bizarre elements, a hallmark of Dali’s Surrealist oeuvre. In the foreground, multiple figures are arranged on a stretch of land that leads towards a horizon dominated by cloudy skies and distant fiery explosions. Among these figures, there’s a central creature with the torso of a woman and the head of an animal reclining on a flat, mustard-colored construction, an actual piece of furniture. The creature is supported by crutches, a recurring motif in Dali’s work symbolizing instability or support.
To the left of the central scene, we observe multiple spectral figures draped in cloaks, reminiscent of classical statuary, engaging with smaller, peculiar entities. These enigmatic figures appear at once human and otherworldly. A draped cloth or tablecloth in the left corner holds various items, including withered branches and what seems to be a piece of bread with honey dripping over it. Conical objects and hands engaging with these items also emerge from the cloth. A sense of fluid and dynamic interaction typifies the artwork, enhancing the surrealist atmosphere.
On flat ground towards the right, a solitary camel-like creature stands, isolated and with an air of aloofness. The entirety of the tableau is infused with a strange, haunting tension, as the creatures and objects within it defy conventional interpretation. The artwork invites viewers into a world that operates on uncanny internal logic governed by the subconscious, imagination, and dreams.
