“The Persistence of Memory”, 1931 Salvador Dalí oil on canvas

C O L O U R S H A P E S P A C E F O R M V A L U E L I N E Sky & figure in centre stand out Tones of yellow & brown Earthy colours S H A P E Molten figures Organic shapes Irregular S P A C E Big space between foreground & background Lower right corner is very empty F O R M 3-dimensional Shadows create 3D impression Perspective (sense of depth) V A L U E Darker corner – contrast with rest of image L I N E Curved, round lines Very soft

E M P H A S I S B A L A N C E C O N T R A S T On the lower left corner (due to light) On the white figure in the centre (due to contrast in colour) B A L A N C E Between empty and filled space Not too crammed but not empty either However, images are more concentrated on the lower left corner C O N T R A S T Of the light in the lower left corner and the darkness in the lower right M O V E M E N T The viewer first focuses on the lower left corner and then moves on towards the rest of the image

Salvador Dalí -1931 – “Persistence of Memory” T I M E L I N E : -May 11, 1904 – born -1911 – taken to his brother’s grave -1923 – suspended from academy for criticizing teachers & starting riots -1926-29 – went to Paris & met Picasso -1929 – Dalí’s first Surrealist period -1931 – “Persistence of Memory” -1934 – married to Gala -1974 – fight with manager  loss of wealth 1980 – retired from painting  motor disorder -1982 – Gala died -1984 – Burned in fire / confined to wheelchair -January 23, 1989 – dies of heart failure at 84 1904 – 1989 Catalonia Painted from early age Art school –very bad student Expelled from academy Believed he was the reincarnation of his brother Dadaist philosophy Supported Freud’s theories self-indulged hallucinations Painted his dreams

CONTEXT Catalan landscape Dalí was well into his Surrealist phase – Exploring the subconscious Irrational juxtapositions (blend reality with surrealism) Melted clocks based on image of camembert cheese – cheese had melted He felt that time did the same thing as the cheese did – it was melting (passing slowly) Freud’s psychoanalytical theories – exploring the subconscious

THEME Time – malleability of time -surrealism of time Where does surrealism end and reality start? (melting clocks vs. Catalan landscape) Dreams vs. reality The subconscious mind “Decay of time” (ants coming out of the closed pocket watch)

“El Vendedor de Alcatraces”, 1941 Diego Rivera

S P A C E C O L O U R L I N E V A L U E S H A P E F O R M On top, very light colours (yellow & white) In the bottom, dark colours (black, red, brown) Dark background Floor is lighter under her L I N E Soft, round lines V A L U E Flowers contrast with the person Central image contrasts with the black background S H A P E Irregular Organic S P A C E Little empty space At the edges of the image Painting filled with central image F O R M More 2-dimensional Depth in the background (shadow)

E M P H A S I S C O N T R A S T P R O P O R T I O N V A L U E The size of the flowers is too big in comparison to the worker − The worker carries an enormous burden E M P H A S I S On the flowers C O N T R A S T Between woman and flowers! P R O P O R T I O N The proportion of the flowers, in relation to the worker, is very large V A L U E Bright colour of flowers call attention Due to dark colours, woman isn’t as noticed – merges with background As if the flowers were more important than the woman M O V E M E N T Viewer first looks at the flowers Then slowly begins to notice and look at the woman The person’s head is down and she is on her knees, as if she can’t bear the load

Rivera supported socialism & revolutionary politics  therefore large emphasis on the suffering of the working class Rivera wanted to pass an idea in a way that could be easily accessed by the population  painting Used mostly natural colours - reminding population of indigenous murals - goes back to population’s origin Woman is carrying a very heavy load = Heavy burden upon working class Mexican working class under very poor conditions Criticism towards capitalist society Rivera painted several versions of the same painting C O N T E X T

T H E M E A criticism of capitalism oppression Exaltation of national culture Conditions of the Mexican lower class injustice Sufferring of the working class T H E M E

Bibliography Dalí, Salvador. The Persistence of Memory. 1931. MoMA, New York. MoMA. MoMa. Web. 27 Feb. 2015. <http://www.moma.org/collection/object.php?object_id=79018>. Dalí, Salvador. The Persistence of Memory. 1931. MoMA, New York. MoMA Learning. MoMA. Web. 3 Mar. 2015. <http://www.moma.org/learn/moma_learning/1168-2>. "Salvador Dalí Biography." Bio.com. A&E Networks Television, n.d. Web. 4 Mar. 2015. <http://www.biography.com/people/salvador-dal-40389#early-life>. "Diego Rivera: "El Vendedor De Alcatraces" (1941)." Famous Mexican Artists. N.p., 14 June 2011. Web. 26 Feb. 2015. <http://mexicoart.org/2011/06/14/diego-rivera-el-vendedor-de-alcatraces-1941/>. "Diego Rivera Biography." Diego Rivera - The Complete Works. N.p., n.d. Web. 6 Mar. 2015. <http://www.diego-rivera-foundation.org/biography.html>.