My Favorite Painters – Salvador Dali

by Paulo Coelho on March 13, 2009

Next post: The Everyday Masters – Part 5

{ 46 comments… read them below or add one }

Salvador Dali Art Fan May 4, 2011 at 8:27 am

Was cruising around the interwebs and stumbled on this old post. I’m also a big fan of Dali’s works. One of these days I really want to make a trip out to FL to checkout that museum I keep hearing about.

Julie July 10, 2009 at 3:10 am

I do not believe I found your blog [sorry gushing here]. I was looking for some lesser known interesting works of Salvador Dali to post on my blog and followed this image to !! here! I am doing a blog series on Le Tour de France, but more from a tourist, scenic view point and I am up to Spain. I thought about mentioning your books, particulary The Pilgrimage but could never do it justice! You probably won’t see this comment as it is an old post, but if you do, Thank YOU.. your books helped me during a low point. I need to read them again! Julie

Seannnzzzz June 14, 2009 at 12:10 pm

What’s this piece called???

nienke van der weide @ myspace February 13, 2010 at 7:59 pm: The Ship

Bruno May 1, 2009 at 2:23 pm

Although it changes every day, I’m currently captured by Vilhelm Hammershoi:

http://www.artinthepicture.com/paintings/Vilhelm_Hammershoi/A-Woman-Reading-By-A-Window/

Marie-Christine March 31, 2009 at 9:02 am

Patricia
Thanks
Hope the wind is carrying you towards your destination.
Love

Patricia March 31, 2009 at 8:38 am

It is easier to say than done:).. well being awake and knowing is the start of the route.. just to realize I fell back sleep from time to time..and go with the wind;)

Hugs and happy thoughts back to you Marie-Christine.

Marie-Christine March 30, 2009 at 3:20 pm

Patricia
Wow !that was great. I am learning every day. Thank you.
Love

Patricia March 30, 2009 at 1:40 pm

It was so amazing that had to publish it to blog as well…thank you for this! http://elamaarinnanalta.blogspot.com/

Patricia March 30, 2009 at 1:25 pm

You can see the left foot as sense, right as will and desires. If you have both feet in line and working together you are stable and you will find your own way. If your desires takes over, then you might be taken by the wind.

Wind can be seen as life flow, you can have tailwind or headwind. If feets are off the ground wind can take you where it pleases…wind is full of other peoples desires, need for power or domination, wishes, glory etc. You can easily just drift through your life – not living at all or just for others.

Clothings could be our values, prejudices, beliefs, outlooks for life.

It is amazing how art can really say so much with just a one glance..

munrocea March 23, 2009 at 3:16 pm

actually – isn’t she in fact on the shore
[not as Moses holding back the waves after all as I had first interpreted !!!]
so in fact she brings the ship from the great oceans onto dry land, the shore…
Ensures safe passage.

munrocea March 23, 2009 at 3:08 pm

the boat represents the soul on a journey..
the human i see here is surely a woman as good omen for safe passage..indeed she keeps the tsnuami at bay from crashing down on the ship and destroying it into pieces.

the boat – as the soul of humanity’s own journey shows also that that woman is enchained almost to the mast…
could she escape? maybe…
yet maybe her strength at the front is what can save alone..

Tracy March 16, 2009 at 5:10 pm

What a fantastic painting and perhaps and way to depict the perfect beauty in the perceived burdens of life. I immediately notice the femine body and masculine limbs of this warrior bound to balance and steer a ship against beautiful but relentless and powerful waves. The warrior has made it to shore, perhaps by choice or destiny but the pristine ship supported by powerful limbs and warrior feet is fully in tact. Victory!

Cristina March 16, 2009 at 10:17 am

The man becomes a ship; that is the man is the voyage himself!, never care about what will happen; sail!
this picture gives me a sense of freedom; bold soul; discovery!
Thank you Paulo.
Have anice day everybody.

Lisa Marie March 15, 2009 at 10:43 pm

Hi Paulo, i also love dali and surrealist artists.
My friend of long date is also an artist
and some of his works are inspired by your works and have a touch of surrealism to it. here is the link to his site
http://web.mac.com/nagualero

susan March 15, 2009 at 9:51 pm

oops, correction………

Our best foot forward tempted out of necessity need, evil left behind, meaning superstitions, fear, anger prejudice etc, not the other way around……..

susan March 15, 2009 at 9:49 pm

Pandora,

I thought that your interpretation was most interesting, thoughtful. The struggle of the individual against the collective, maintaining a sense of dignity amongst the chaos. Pulling light from the darkness.

When I first saw the painting I thought of hang gliding, I think someone else mentioned this. I also see The Son of Man coming on the clouds of glory. I see ‘knowledge’, our best foot forward, evil left behind, tempted forward out of necessity, need.

But mostly I see the space shuttle. It too comes in on the wind so to speak. It glides in, not under the power of engines, machines. It is the machine, knowledge. The Captain brings it in, it’s his baby, knowledge, chariot of fire. Goes out like a lion, fire, comes in like a lamb, emitting a sonic boom, victory.

I love the names of the shuttle, The Enterprise, Colombia Challenger, Discovery, Endeavor……and the mythical Alantis.

They are a sight to see when they go off when one is there amongst the crowds. It is not the same as watching it on TV. People come from all over the world to see them launched. They really are a collective endeavor. Without support the captain has no ship. Render unto God what is God’s and unto Caesar what is Caesars…..

Dali gives us an inspritation, and at the same time begs a question; are we puppets, and if so to what? What are we willing to tie ourselves to? If we are going to be slaves, what are we going to be slaves too, because for sure we are slaves, servents whether we like it or not, male or female.

There is a lot of interesting imagery in the painting both cooperative and individual……..

Madeleine Maria March 15, 2009 at 6:08 pm

Salvador Dalí has always been one of my favorites.

Гвенис-gwen March 14, 2009 at 8:25 pm

Oh…I like his too)

Pandora March 14, 2009 at 4:28 pm

I have a Dali unfinished painting on the desktop of my computer.

Looking at this painting, I feel sad, the ship has always been feminine, so maybe that is why, her arms are held out as if tied to a cross, but she is still walking. It is as if she is burdened but knows she has to keep going, it looks like this is taking a great inner strength and concentration on her part.

Half Ship, Half Human. The ability to master two worlds. I can almost hear the wood creak.

Irina March 14, 2009 at 1:56 pm

‘The Ship’…in and out of the water, free to sail and yet chained to its own destiny, the grace of a female body combined with the strength specific of a man. therefore complexity – the adjective that best describes dali’s work.

Zee March 14, 2009 at 1:48 pm

Very powerful image.

Irina March 14, 2009 at 1:39 pm

my favourite painter of all…his works illustrate the real human nature: nothing is as it seems, reality often gets distorted but if we gather the small scattered pieces of the puzzle we can come up with an entirely new picture. starting as a surrealist and developping his so-called ‘paranoid critical method’ he never failed to mirror the inner mechanism of human mind.
his paintings remind me of Sheherezade’s stories: tales inside tales, a real chinese puzzle.

Angeline16 March 14, 2009 at 1:06 pm

It reminds me of my dad, because he’s a seaman and of course he is always on a big ship that carry large cargo containers and in painting the man is on dry land and I think it signifies that wherever places that he might reach, he’ll always come back home on land.

Angeline

Marie-Christine March 14, 2009 at 11:56 am

sorry, I meant: water, air, earth and fire.

prettyfirefly March 14, 2009 at 6:58 am

I’ve read most of your books I guess that made me one of your fans>
Yes I am! Keep it comming! More Power!

Marie-Christine March 14, 2009 at 6:38 am

Hi Paulo,
I don’t know anything about paintings.
I appreciate the brilliance of S.Dali – he was always bigger than life – who manages to bring the four elements in that particular painting to its peak, water, air, wind and fire.
Sail away, Salvador, Sail away…
Interesting comment Irina about Dali “genius” and his “madness” – how we seem to accept that creative people can be “mad” or “eccentric”- however the average person’s eccentricity is labelled as “mental illness”.
His comments on TV were always very pertinent.It used to make my Dad laughs and that was good enough for me.
Have a nice week end everyone.
:)

candie March 14, 2009 at 12:35 am

Great definition Mo Mo and Irina Black loved what you said.

t.k. March 14, 2009 at 12:32 am

I’m learning to flow in the current of life. I experienced today that when I surrendered to the flow of life, the signs appeared sort of like giving me a thrust of wind in my sail. I was inspired, motivated to continue on my journey. All because I stop fighting for control over the things that seemed to be necessary in my life. I will try to practice this each day….allowing myself the ability to flow with the current of life and not fight against it.

orly March 13, 2009 at 11:54 pm

when i see salvador dali ‘s art- i feel like confused, some kind of this special deep tik tak in my heart,,,, he is able to penetrate my whole system and i just love his work!!!!!!! and some times a bit scared!!!!

Irina Black March 13, 2009 at 11:08 pm

“Otherworld”.Any talented painter can make a copy of Dali’s painting.More talented can even make-”a parody”.But to create a painting of such content-Dali’s genius needed,his”madness” of bringing “underworld” into the world,which we call”Reality”.I would like to read S.Freud’s diarys(if he wouldn’t burn them),illustrated by Dali,who was even worse with the fire-as a result-no diarys,no Dali.Unconscious is talking:to understand this language-is to widen the horizons.

Fiorella March 13, 2009 at 10:55 pm

Thank you so so much for this….
I always remember when we where in Miami, talking about you and me living in other places away from each other been always friends by e-mail or something like this…it was so important to me to know you when I came here, you did show me the real meaning of
“We are all One”
You are colors to me, you are a beautiful colors!
Hope to see you soon Here or there…
Love You
Fio

Belén March 13, 2009 at 9:43 pm

o ser humano, como unha grande caravela, carga coas velas abertas ao vento, que son as embestidas da nosa vida e resiste con forza de espaldas ao grande oceano revolto pola tempestade de dúbidas propias e envexas alleas. pese a todo, mantense en pé e tira cara adiante cumprindo o seu destino feroz.

mo mo March 13, 2009 at 7:48 pm

i once was a ship that sailed out to sea
in search of my own true destiny
i travelled the world from east to west
stopping at ports only yto rest
and for a while this suited me grand
for i was alone no mans land

i braved the sun as it scorched from a high
as i drifted along my sails hanging dry
i battled the wind as it pulled on my mast
i felt afraid and thought of my past

i wished for a port that i could call home
and suddenly i felt so very alone
the waves were so hard their fury so strong

i couldnt continue my time it had come
i struggled for hours but it couldnt be
for i am the ship and you are the sea….

paulo,
awesome painting ,hard to control the vessel that is all of us,the elements are so strong we have this illusion of power ,nature holds us in its palm…x

Lavy March 13, 2009 at 6:24 pm

mine too! Salvador Dali is the best and..don’t forget about Barcelona!

Davis Bear March 13, 2009 at 5:47 pm

A wonderfull painter… I have been in Praga’s exhibition of Dali’s paintings. Mad and genius.

Nancy March 13, 2009 at 5:12 pm

Thanks for showing me a different painting by Salvador Dali. I like this one.

Bryony March 13, 2009 at 4:52 pm

Are we not all ships on our journey through the ocean. A poetic friend noted that it is not the wind in the sails or the strength of the tide that decide our direction but a small change the rudder of our great and magestic vessels. We are human and divine creatures due to our ability to steer the ship, and is God the wind and the tide?

Bryony March 13, 2009 at 4:47 pm

As a student studying to become a Naval Architect and ocean engineer but who has an ever growing and dominant sensitive, creative, philosophical and artistic side it is a most inspiring and thought provoking piece. Of the artistic value I leave others to decide but my own eyes, heart and spirit tell me it’s beautiful and real. :-)

çigarra March 13, 2009 at 4:42 pm

Mi piace moltissimo Salvador Dalì forse perchè io mi appassiono di più alla vita degli artisti e lui è veramente un poliedro a mille facce, tutte splendide!
Non conoscevo questo quadro, a primo acchitto sembra Atena!
Qualcuno mi spieghi meglio…
Il mio preferito è Il Cristo di san Giovanni della Croce!
LUX

THELMA March 13, 2009 at 4:38 pm

The ship!

The painting is the symbolism of Man, Odysseus wandering in the sea for ten years… going back to Ithaca, after the Trojan war. Iliada and Odysseia by Homer.
LOVE,
Thelma

Catherine March 13, 2009 at 2:38 pm

Do you think Dali had journeyed to Africa and met “the power houses”…. Women ?!
;o)

candie March 13, 2009 at 1:51 pm

Now,I love that painting so much!Dali is one of the best and that one is purely beautiful!

Hi Savita:just went to see the work of your friend,it’s really beautiful.Like “Two Faces” very much.

Good day

Alexandra March 13, 2009 at 1:21 pm

the painting is wonderful.your taste is fawless.Great artist,indeed (added by Mobile using Mippin)

Catherine March 13, 2009 at 12:35 pm

A wonderful, wonderful artist
his imaginative leaves you impressed and in awe of the power of ideas of unity.

Savita Vega March 13, 2009 at 12:04 pm

Chilean artist, Fiorella Podesta, lives and works in Miami. We met and became friends when she first came to the U.S. several years ago. I have one of her paintings hanging on the wall of my den, near the fireplace – I would love to have them all! When I look at Fio’s art, it takes me to another space, another dimension, where the external reality of things is stripped away, revealing a beauty beyond beauty, burning brightly from within the heart of each and every subject she paints.

Here are a few of my favorite paintings by Fio:

“El y Ella”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/20062007?authkey=Gv1sRgCKu9rKeDk8igjwE#5142861248626159682

“Palo Alo Cidre”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/20062007?authkey=Gv1sRgCKu9rKeDk8igjwE#5142868099098996962

“Woman”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/NewPaintings#5220062077418684450

“Cuarzo”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/NewPaintings#5220062687989282370

“Logo Moksha Family”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/2003To2005#5298251640646811746

“Two Faces”
http://picasaweb.google.com/artbyfio/1988To2002#5297154527260200034

* You can also view other works by Fio on her website:
http://www.fiorellapodesta.com/artevisualfio.html