The artwork titled “Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubicus)” was created by renowned artist Salvador Dali between 1953 and 1954. This piece is an oil painting on canvas that measures 195.6 x 124.5 cm. Dali’s work is typically associated with the Surrealism movement, but this piece also incorporates elements of Realism. Classified as genre painting, the artwork embodies the artist’s exploration of religious themes through a surrealistic lens.
“Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubicus)” is a strikingly unconventional representation of the crucifixion of Jesus Christ. Instead of the traditional wooden cross, Christ is depicted as being suspended in a complex, geometric figure known as a hypercube or tesseract. The figure of Christ is portrayed with a rigorous attention to anatomical precision, typical of Realist tradition; however, the hypercube presents an ethereal, scientific interpretation of the crucifixion that aligns with Surrealism. Beneath Christ, a female figure, often interpreted as Mary Magdalene, gazes up towards him. The contrast between the tangible human figures and the abstract, mathematical object they are interacting with creates a thought-provoking dichotomy. The setting of the crucifixion is further abstracted by the placing of these figures against a desolate, checkered floor, which adds to the surreal and timeless atmosphere of the painting. This artwork is a testament to Dali’s ability to blend the sacred with the surreal and the real with the imagined, evoking profound contemplation on themes of spirituality and dimensionality.
