The artwork titled “The True Painting of the ‘Isle of the Dead’ by Arnold Böcklin at the Hour of the Angelus” was created by Salvador Dali in 1932. It is executed in oil on canvas and is affiliated with the Surrealism movement. The dimensions of the piece are 77.5 by 64.5 cm. Classifiable as a landscape, this piece currently resides in the Von der Heydt Museum located in Wuppertal, Germany.
Observing the composition of the artwork, one immediately perceives the serene yet disquieting quality that is characteristic of Dali’s work. A vast, tranquil sea under an expansive sky covers the upper portion of the work, providing a backdrop to the striking and surreal elements in the foreground. Dominating the lower section is the elongated form of a humanoid figure, reminiscent of the rocky outcrops found in Böcklin’s “Isle of the Dead,” signifying Dali’s reinterpretation or homage to the earlier work. This figure rests on a desolate plane that extends to the sea, its head obscured or fused with the distant landmass, evoking a sense of the figure being both a part of the landscape and independent of it.
A stark, slender pole bisects the scene vertically, casting a long shadow that interrupts the flatness of the terrain. Moreover, placed adjacent to the pole is a solitary, three-dimensional cube that supports a teacup, leaning slightly towards the pole’s shadow. This inclusion of everyday objects situated incongruously within the landscape is a distinctive trait of Surrealism, challenging viewers’ perceptions and conventional associations. The rendering’s precise lines and clarity impart a dream-like hyper-realism, which further accentuates the surreal juxtaposition of elements. Overall, the artwork epitomizes the enigmatic and metaphorical style of Dali, and it teases the subconscious with its play on reality and illusion.
