Dali
I noted in Part 84 of this blog that one of my favourite paintings, Christ of St John on the Cross by Salvador Dali, was due to come back home to the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow after being on loan to Spain and I would arrange to go back and view it again. I did so at the end of December and it was worth the wait.
Painted in 1951, and purchased by Glasgow Museums in 1952, I recall the first time I ever saw the painting. I’ve forgotten how old I was but I was quite young and my father had taken me on a day out to Glasgow and had said we were going to visit the museum and see the Dali. I had no idea what that meant other than it was a painting. I didn’t know at the time, but such visits instilled in me a lifelong passion for visiting museums and art galleries, and seeing the painting that day was the moment when I realised that art could have an impact I was unable to articulate back then, but again remains with me to this day.
The painting is unlike a lot of Dali’s work, who is best known for his surrealist art. The figure of Christ is painted in a photo-realist style, but the suspension of the cross in mid-air, with our perspective hovering above and looking down on the crucifixion is an astonishing take on a scene that has been depicted many times over. Once you have got over the initial disorientation caused by the angle of the view Dali chose to depict, there is further detail to absorb at the foot of the painting. There is a body of water with two small fishing boats and three other figures, one of which appears to be casting a net from the shoreline. This is the bay of Portlligat, a small village in Catalonia, Spain. Dali was a resident here when painting this picture and it is featured in other work, such as The Madonna of Port Lligat and The Sacrament of the Last Supper. Where he stayed is now the Salvador Dali House Museum. I intend to visit one day, being a huge admirer of his work. It wasn’t until my teens when I started reading up on Surrealist Art and the movement in general. Looking at my bookshelves I can see both my go to books at this time on the subject. Surrealism: The Road to the Absolute by Anna Balakian and Dada and Surrealism by Dawn Ades.
It is worth noting that Dali chose not to show signs of blood, nails or the crown of thorns in this painting. Of course, it has had its critics; it’s not for everyone and that’s the way of all art. It has also been vandalised, and fortunately survived and the restoration was successful. It is now in a separate, dark room, beautifully lit. When I was there, no one in the room was talking. You enter, brushing past a dark curtain, and then for whatever reason, folk fall silent as they look at the painting. I should point out, that in Scotland, museums and galleries are full of people chattering. I’ve noticed in other countries the experience can be different, with very much a hushed tone permeating the establishment depending on where you visit. In Scotland our galleries are busy, noisy places and that’s a good thing. However, with the Dali, being set in its own space, there is a different vibe. If you can, I recommend a visit. I know I will be going back again later in the year.
The Fiction Factory 