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Dali & The Impressionists
The Dali Museum's latest exhibit showing the influence of French Impressionists on a young Dali is a must-see.
BY MARCIA BIGGS
The works of renowned French Impressionist masters who influenced the early work of Salvador Dalí should not be missed in the exhibit “Dalí & the Impressionists: Monet, Degas, Renoir & More” at the Dali Museum. On view through April 28, 2024, the exhibition is produced in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), one of the preeminent collections of French Impressionism in the U.S. On loan are some 22 works by 18 artists, many will be on view for the first time in the state of Florida, offering a rare opportunity to view these French Impressionist masterpieces.
This exhibit offers a fascinating window into the works of a young Dali before his move to Surrealism. Landscapes, seascapes, still lifes and portraits by Dalí are grouped with similar compositions by French Impressionists and other 19th and early 20th century artists including Claude Monet, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Edouard Manet, Edgar Degas, Paul Gauguin, Paul Cézanne, and Henri Matisse.
The paintings cover four years of Dali’s career before going to art school, focusing on the people who became his heroes. Opening the exhibit, an artifact on display is pulled from the museum’s collection – it’s a notebook written by Dali during this period, in which he expounds broadly upon his newfound world as an Impressionist painter.
For the viewer who only relates Dali with Surrealism, this exhibit is a revelation. Seemingly worlds apart, Impressionism attempted to portray the reality of contemporary life in terms of light and color using short brush strokes to give an “impression” versus a focused portrayal of a subject. Much of the work quickly captures a moment in time and is often outside. Surrealists sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind with virtually no limitations.
In Cadaqués (1923), Dali captures a peaceful landscape of his seaside hometown in Spain. It is partnered with Claude Monet’s Antibes (1888), with a similar view of the waterfront town in France. The soft, short strokes of Impressionism are undeniable in Dali’s Tieta, Portrait of My Aunt (1923). It’s presented alongside Renoir’s Algerian Girl (1881). Roses in a vase are the subject in Dali’s still life Bouquet (1924) as well as Matisse’s Vase of Flowers (1924).
The Impressionist movement began around 1870 and was considered revolutionary and outside the realm of acceptable art in Europe in the latter part of the 19th century. Those who practiced it were considered rebels. It’s not surprising, then, that Dali as a teen gravitated to the style. In 1924, he would move on to Fauvism, Cubism and eventually Surrealism.
As part of the exhibition, a final gallery invites museumgoers to an artificial intelligence experience dubbed “Your Portrait.” It takes a photo of your face, then transforms your image into a one-of-a-kind Impressionist work of art. It’s a fun type of selfie that should not be missed.
“Dalí & the Impressionists: Monet, Degas, Renoir & More” is curated by William Jeffett, the museum’s chief curator. For more information, visit TheDali.org
Dali’s Cadaqués (1923), a painting of his hometown in Spain, is partnered with Claude Monet’s Antibes (Afternoon Effect) (1888), a similar view of the waterfront town in France.
