Dalí’s Masterpiece –

The Persistence of Memory – was painted by the extravagant artist in 1931, the year which was marked by great turbulence and political instability in Spain, a time when the seeds for the Second Spanish Republic were sown; soon disrupted by the Civil War in 1936. In 1939 Franco ascends to power and Spain was caught between two totalitarian states – a monarchy and a dictator.

 “The difference between me and the surrealists, is that I am a surrealist”.

– Salvador Dalí-

“I am Surrealism!” “I am Surrealism!”

Surrealism is a 20th- century avant-garde movement in art and literature which sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, for example by the irrational juxtaposition of images and deeply inspired by psychoanalysis. Themes such as the unconscious, dreams, time and death are explored in the multidisciplinary movement. Salvador Dalí joins the Surrealists in 1929 after meeting some of the group members.

Portrait of the artist with Gala © Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí – renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship, and the striking and bizarre images in his work: his wild art matched with the “Dali public personality“, were his greatest assests that took him to the pinnacle of the surrealists movement; a cut above the rest.

Through The Persistence of Memory, Dalí is reconstructing himself, both personally and artistically. In the creative process he is fully exploring the Surrealist expression. The Persistence of Memory is one of the most famous Surrealist paintings of the entire movement.

A true masterpiece comes from something beyond our human scope; as if the divine dropped it into our imaginations directly.

His artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography, at times in collaboration with other artists. He also wrote fiction, poetry, autobiography, essays and criticism

Today, my real interest in compiling this blog is to send a shout-out- birthday- wishes to all the Archers. Moreso after reading what Roya Backlund, who works as an astrology editor had to say about the painting in relation to people born this time of the year. She writes…

“Sagittarius is the most philosophical and open-minded zodiac sign of all. This mutable fire sign is always aiming to look at the big picture, no matter how terrifying or confusing it might be. That’s why Salvador Dalí’s famous painting The Persistence of Memory speaks to the endless questions every Sagittarius has about the meaning of life and what’s actually possible.”

Salvador Dalí

In this painting, Dalí is trying to decipher whether or not time truly exists. Furtheron Backlund says, “this painting is full of Freudian inferences and vivid objects to analyze, such as the array of ants sitting in the bottom left corner and the three separate clocks that represent the past, present and future. Only a Sagittarius could contemplate this without getting lost in the details.”

It is written that it is mostly, no hold on – it’s impossible to persuade a Sagittarius to do something they don’t want to do. Specifically today I hope that the Archers can be persuaded to have a fun today.(well there to, they always do.)

As for superpower, well you have it in you- by just being you. So here is a birthday toast to all you hard-driving, brutally honest warriors, with hearts of gold.

Happy birthday to you.🥂💕

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