Dali Revisited
In part 139 of this blog I wrote about the Salvador Dali painting, Christ of St John of the Cross, on display at the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum in Glasgow. It’s a painting I’ve viewed many times and never tire of it. I was excited to hear that the painting had been moved from its spot into a new exhibition space, so I took time out to go and see what was happening here.
Previously the painting was stored in what I can only describe as a dark, walk-in cupboard, that could hold around ten people at a time, though there was no one controlling numbers who could enter whenever I have visited. This meant at busy times it was quite a crush and far from ideal conditions to view the work. The new space is much larger, can easily take dozens of folk, and even has a couple of benches to sit on. The light is still very subdued but that’s fine, as the painting is well-lit and can be easily viewed regardless of where you are standing. On either side is a large screen, which plays a short film on a loop, which has an actor playing Dali, using his words to describe the inspiration which led to this painting. The credits at the end of the film, note that no AI was used in making it. When I arrived there was a member of staff at the door, controlling numbers as it is peak time, and there is an exit into the rest of the gallery at the other end of the room. There is also a touch screen providing background information on the painting along with a couple of static information boards with further details.
I was very excited to see this new room has space to exhibit two other works by Dali, neither of which I had seen before. There is the Study for Christ of St John of the Cross (1952) in ink on paper. This is a sketch showing early thoughts on how to execute his idea for the painting. The second one is titled Christ de St Jean de la Croix (1950-51). This is described as a collage, watercolour, gouache, card. An information board on ‘Nuclear Mysticism’, a term coined by Dali helps to explain this work, as he combines religion with science, illustrating his theory that the nucleus of the atom and Christ are the same. This collage features an upside down triangle. From the film, you can see that a similar triangle can be drawn across the painting of Christ of St John of the Cross, from the outstretched hands to the feet.
The other information board is entitled Reinventing Surrealism, noting Dali’s exclusion from the group of Surrealists at the time, and his positioning of new art based on traditions of the past.
The staff have done a great job in providing this new space. At the time of writing this, I have gone back for a second look. It is the height of the tourist season, and the gallery is busy, so the expanded space is very welcome. It’s good to see so many taking time to come and view what is on offer, and this painting is a highlight. The information available, both on the five minute film and the information boards is excellent. Its uncluttered and easy to understand and if new to the painting, it should help towards an appreciation of what has gone into producing it. With the addition of the two other pieces now on display in the same area, it makes for a more complete viewing of this work of art.