This sculpture—part theatrical maquette, part multi-layered painting—is composed of eleven painted glass panes that juxtapose several distinct and peculiar worlds. At the margins the proscenium arch, receding stage floor, and inkwell evoke the stage and an unseen playwright, highlighting the orchestrated, artificial character of painting. Behind these Dalí contrasts an idyllic Arcadian scene with a barren, ruined landscape. Dalí's unique construction was inspired by his longstanding fascination with optical devices and with the theater.
Credit: Acquired through the James Thrall Soby Bequest, and the Abby Aldrich Rockefeller, Loula D. Lasker, and William S. Paley Funds
1934
Wood and glass, painted
32.3 x 42.5 x 31.1 cm
57.1981
Image © 2019 Salvador Dalí, Gala-Salvador Dalí Foundation / Artists Rights Society (ARS), New York
Text © MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York
Text © MoMA - Museum of Modern Art, New York
Where you'll find this
The Museum of Modern Art
Permanent collection