Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man
Salvador Dali (1904-1989)
1943. Oil on linen canvas, 46.1x 52 cm. Salvador Dali museum, St Petersburg.
Surrealism
ARTIST
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dali was born in 1904 in Spain. He was treated like royalty by his poor parents as they thought of him as the incarnation of his brother who had died 9 months before Salvador's birth. This constantly reminded him of death later resulting in his obsession with death as seen in many of his artworks including one of his most praised 'The Persistence of Memory'.
Dali was highly talented and produced very sophisticated drawings from an early age. He studied painting in Madrid and the Metaphysical School of Painting founded by Giorgio de Chirico which had an important influence on Dali's paintings. He developed his own style, using strange objects from his fantasy worlds in weird juxtaposition.
Dali is considered one of the most important artists of the surrealist movement.
The Dali Atomicus, photo by Philippe Halsman (1948...
Salvador Dalí, The Persistence of Memory (1931), ...
Dalí RulesFor fourteen years Dali employed all the common features of surrealism; many of his paintings also include the techniques of impressionism, cubism, futurism and classicism as seen in 'Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the new Man'.
AUDIENCE
There would've been a varying audience for this artwork; patrons of surrealist pieces, political audiences of the world war and historians. In this artwork we see Dali's reaction and views on the world war at the time.
Today this painting could be accepted as America is considered the power of the world, during the 1940's however Europe was considered the power. This painting could've offended many people and forced them to accept a different view.
ARTWORK
Dali's 'Geopoliticus Child Watching the Birth of the New Man' is very symbolic like most of his surrealist paintings. It focuses on a rebirth.