"Autumn Cannibalism": Salvador Dali and the Spanish Civil War

2024 Author: Leah Sherlock | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 05:25

The meaning of many of Dali's paintings is not entirely clear to researchers. But "Autumn Cannibalism" is interpreted unambiguously. It is equated with Picasso's Guernica: in their characteristic original manner, the artists depicted their fear and disgust before the Spanish Civil War.

About the author

Salvador Dali is one of the most popular contemporary artists. Only Picasso could compete with him in popularity in the twentieth century. But, unlike him, Dali was also a brilliant marketer. He managed to sell not only his paintings, but also his image, carefully emasculated and covered with prudently fabricated legends. Such hyperpopularity led to the fact that by the end of the last century in Europe and America, Dali's work had become somewhat boring, as evidenced by auction sales. At the same time, in Russia, his paintings continue to enjoy great success. "Autumn Cannibalism", written in 1936, refers to the early period of the artist's work.

Plot of the picture

The painting "Autumn Cannibalism" depicts a Catalan beach and a chest of drawers standing on it. Here are placedthe main characters of the picture: two impersonal creatures, in one of which female features are guessed, in the other - male features. Intertwined in a crazy embrace, they eat each other. In this tangle of bodies it is difficult to make out where whose flesh is. The picture contains the attributes of a still life: broken bread, nuts, apples. Chunks of fresh meat are strewn across the countertop, one of them is nailed.

In the background is a crimson scorched valley, beyond which you can see the buildings of a Spanish town. It is surrounded by mountains on both sides. In one of the hills on the right, you can see a predatory grinning face. The cloud in the sky is also not accidental; a profile is read in it, distorted by a scream of horror. In contrast to the surreal foreground, the background in Dali's paintings often looks quite realistic.

Interpretation

It is rather difficult to talk about the plot in the paintings of this painter, and even more so to interpret it. But with regard to Dali's painting "Autumn Cannibalism", the researchers of his work are unanimous: the plot is inspired by the horror of the Civil War in his native Spain. Creatures devouring each other, woven into a ball - a single Spanish people, split into two parts. Eating his brother, he destroys himself. Like other Dali paintings, "Autumn Cannibalism" is filled with various symbols. So, ants in his works are a symbol of death and decay. Bread signifies fear of hunger and poverty. Chest of drawers is an image often found in the artist's works. It's a kind of Pandora's box. Hidden desires, secret thoughts, subconscious fears are hidden here. An apple on the head of one of the characters in the picture is interpreted as an allusion to the legend of William Tell. According to legend, he was forced to shoot an arrow at an apple on his son's head. Thus, in the picture, the fetus symbolizes coercion from the outside and at the same time the close connection of two beings. The peeled apple on the tabletop symbolizes, contrary to legend, the inevitable death of his son.

Dali's paintings are a complex cultural phenomenon, ambiguous for perception and interpretation. This does not negate the fact that the artist remains one of the key figures of the twentieth century.