La Gare de Perpignan
Encyclopedia
La Gare de Perpignan is a 1965 oil on canvas painting by the Spanish
surrealist
Salvador Dalí
on display in the Museum Ludwig
in Cologne
. It is considered one of the representative works of surrealism.
on the Cross, with his crown of thorns, floating in the center of the composition. The bleeding wound of Christ is associated with the farmer's fork (on the right) thrust into the ground (fertility ritual). Dalí is represented twice in the vertical axis: he appears in the light at the center of the image, floating with arms spread, and at the top of the painting. On the bottom of the painting lies a calm sea on which a boat, an ancient symbol of the passage from death to life, reinforcing the theme of Christ's sacrifice. Above the sea, a woman seen from the back watches these scenes, immobile, and recalling the helplessness of man facing death, symbolized not only by the bloody wounds of Christ, but also by Dalí, who, spread-eagled, seems to fall into nothingness. On top of the table, a locomotive comes out of nowhere (characteristic of Surrealism), and reminds one of the central themes of the painting, the station of Perpignan. On the left side of the painting, are the embodiment of positive values (the couple on the bags of wheat represent labor, and the man in a meditative pose embodies respect), while on the right of the image are embodied sins and suffering (the man and woman represent lust, and the woman mourning).
is a good example, he inspired many artists with his vision of the world dominated by the disgust and despair.
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
surrealist
Surrealism
Surrealism is a cultural movement that began in the early 1920s, and is best known for the visual artworks and writings of the group members....
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Domènec Felip Jacint Dalí i Domènech, Marquis de Púbol , commonly known as Salvador Dalí , was a prominent Spanish Catalan surrealist painter born in Figueres,Spain....
on display in the Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig
Museum Ludwig, located in Cologne, Germany, houses a collection of modern art. It includes works from PopArt, Abstract and Surrealism, and has one of the largest Picasso collections in Europe. It also features many works by Andy Warhol and Roy Lichtenstein....
in Cologne
Cologne
Cologne is Germany's fourth-largest city , and is the largest city both in the Germany Federal State of North Rhine-Westphalia and within the Rhine-Ruhr Metropolitan Area, one of the major European metropolitan areas with more than ten million inhabitants.Cologne is located on both sides of the...
. It is considered one of the representative works of surrealism.
Description
The sacrifice of the son is transposed in the form of ChristChrist
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
on the Cross, with his crown of thorns, floating in the center of the composition. The bleeding wound of Christ is associated with the farmer's fork (on the right) thrust into the ground (fertility ritual). Dalí is represented twice in the vertical axis: he appears in the light at the center of the image, floating with arms spread, and at the top of the painting. On the bottom of the painting lies a calm sea on which a boat, an ancient symbol of the passage from death to life, reinforcing the theme of Christ's sacrifice. Above the sea, a woman seen from the back watches these scenes, immobile, and recalling the helplessness of man facing death, symbolized not only by the bloody wounds of Christ, but also by Dalí, who, spread-eagled, seems to fall into nothingness. On top of the table, a locomotive comes out of nowhere (characteristic of Surrealism), and reminds one of the central themes of the painting, the station of Perpignan. On the left side of the painting, are the embodiment of positive values (the couple on the bags of wheat represent labor, and the man in a meditative pose embodies respect), while on the right of the image are embodied sins and suffering (the man and woman represent lust, and the woman mourning).
Composition
The painting has several axes of symmetry. Vertically, the axis of symmetry (formed by the superposition of Dalí himself, the locomotive of Christ, Dalí again and the woman with the turned back) is a separation between good and evil (see description). Diagonally, the rays of light extend from Dalí's arms and legs and form four zones: the locomotive and Dalí (on the top, the subject of the painting), respect and work (values, on the left), lust and bereavement (sins and misfortune on the right), and the boat on the sea (death at the bottom).Palette
The painting is composed of earthy colors from the dark brown to light yellow, the palette is composed equally of all blends and gradients of these two colors.Light
At the center of the painting, the cross illuminates the whole: it is where the light is strongest and most intense. The spreading rays show the brilliance and power of the man despite death which awaits him.Features and outlines
The elements shown in the painting (pain, Dalí, the locomotive) are illustrated clearly, while Christ, the positive values and sins are show less clearly, their outlines are less pronounced and their color blends with the background.Historical context
Death is at the heart of all concerns, both artistically and philosophically: Jean-Paul SartreJean-Paul Sartre
Jean-Paul Charles Aymard Sartre was a French existentialist philosopher, playwright, novelist, screenwriter, political activist, biographer, and literary critic. He was one of the leading figures in 20th century French philosophy, particularly Marxism, and was one of the key figures in literary...
is a good example, he inspired many artists with his vision of the world dominated by the disgust and despair.