Sunday Dalí: Atmospheric Skull Sodomizing a Grand Piano

This is an excellent example of the Dalínian interest in Sigmund Freud, and his ideas. This work shows clearly Dalí’s understanding of transposition as he imparts anthropomorphic characteristics on both of these inanimate objects. It also shows Dalí’s fascination with medical anomalies. Dalí’s parents had ‘educated’ him about sexually transmitted diseases by leaving medical texts about for him to look at. The idea was that he would see some of the horrific deformities and be terrified of sexual contact.

Another result of his examination of these books was a morbid interest in cephalic skulls. A neighbor of the Dalí’s in Cape Creus had a son who had such a deformity. The disturbing thing about this picture is the animation of the always ominous, but dead figure of a skull, and its attack upon the unassertive, and submitting piano. The contrast of that act, with the otherwise normal scene of the individuals enjoying a night out on the sitting wall, creates a surreal quality of unease and shock.

(Analysis via Dali-Gallery, image via latifm)