The artwork entitled “City of drawers” was created by the illustrious surrealist artist Salvador Dali in 1936. This piece was rendered in pencil and falls under the figurative genre, emblematic of the Surrealist movement to which Dali was a central figure. Surrealism is an avant-garde movement that sought to unlock the creative potential of the unconscious mind by juxtaposing irrational images in dream-like scenarios.
The artwork depicts a reclining female figure with open drawers protruding from various parts of her body, including her chest, thigh, and knee. The drawers are partially open, with their contents exposed, which evokes a sense of hidden or revealed secrets. Rather than a conventional portrayal, this extraordinary figure breaks the bounds of human anatomy and logic. The composition relays the complex inner workings of the human psyche, a common theme in Dali’s work, where psychoanalytic concepts of the unconscious and hidden desires are visualized in a literal manner.
Adding to the surrealistic atmosphere, the figure’s limbs are exaggerated and distorted, with one arm incredibly elongated, stretching out of the frame. This distortion of human form and scale is signature to Dali’s style. In the background, there are hints of a desolate, architectural landscape and a small detailed scene with figures, adding a sense of place to the otherwise surreal narrative.
This artwork engages the viewer in a dialogue between the conscious and subconscious realms, challenging perceptions of reality and the boundaries of the human body. As a masterpiece of Surrealism, it reflects an exploration of the human mind, identity, and the hidden compartments within ourselves, expertly captured through Dali’s pencil in the mid-1930s.
