The artwork “After the Head of ‘Giuliano di Medici'” by Salvador Dali, was created in 1982 and showcases a fusion of Neoclassical and Surrealist influences, belonging to the figurative genre. This melding of styles is emblematic of Dali’s inventive approach to art, which often brought together disparate elements into intriguing juxtapositions.
In the artwork, there is a dramatic distortion of scale and perspective, common traits in Dali’s oeuvre. A monumental fragmented sculpture of a head, reminiscent of the classical sculptures of antiquity, especially those from the era of the Medici family, dominates the composition. The sculpture’s visage is fragmented and broken, suggesting the passage of time and possibly commenting on the ephemeral nature of human achievement and beauty. The head’s hair morphs into swirling, cloud-like forms that ascend into the sky, further blurring the lines between the physical and the ephemeral.
The background features a desolate landscape, a frequently recurring motif in Dali’s works, which could represent the stark and vast subconscious mind. Microscopic figures and objects are scattered across the ground, emphasizing the head’s towering presence and adding a sense of enigma to the scene. The juxtaposition of the classical-inspired head against the surreal landscape invites contemplation on the contrasts between reality and illusion, past and present, and the grandiose versus the mundane. The work encapsulates Dali’s fascination with dream imagery and his ability to fuse historical artistic elements with his own unique surrealist vision.
