The artwork titled “Blue Knot and Ear of Wheat Next to the Castle” is an intriguing piece created by the celebrated artist Salvador Dali in 1980. Belonging to the realms of both Realism and Surrealism, this artwork presents a vision that blends the ordinary with the dream-like. Measuring 54 x 16 cm, the painting is characterized as a cityscape, showcasing Dali’s unique approach to blending reality with imaginative elements.
In the artwork, viewers encounter a tall, slender pole that anchors the composition, stretching vertically across the canvas. A blue knot is tied elegantly around the pole, below which a cone-shaped holder seems to be attached. Resting inside this holder, an ear of wheat projects outward at an angle, imbuing the scene with a sense of delicate equilibrium. The background features a dusky or twilight sky that transitions from a lighter hue at the horizon to a darker tone higher up, potentially indicating the approach of night.
In the distance, the silhouette of a castle emerges, casting a serene and almost surreal presence over the landscape. The architecture implies a European influence, though the exact location is left ambiguous. The foreground includes scattered stones or bricks, though their disarray does not encroach on the tranquility of the setting but instead contributes to the overall surrealist aesthetic of the piece. The precise rendering of objects in the foreground contrasts with the more ethereal, ghostly depiction of the castle, engaging the viewer in an exploration of the tangible versus the imagined.
