The artwork titled “Dawn, Noon, Sunset and Dusk” was created by the artist Salvador Dalí in 1979. It is an oil painting on canvas, which measures 122 x 246 cm and falls under the genre of symbolic painting. This piece exemplifies a blend of Pointillism and Surrealism, two significant and distinct art movements. It is currently housed in the Dalí Theatre and Museum located in Figueres, Spain.
The artwork portrays four robed figures, which appear reflective or immersed in prayer, positioned against a backdrop that seems to represent different times of day, correlating to the work’s title. The Pointillist technique is evident in the use of small, distinct dots of color that blend together to form the image when viewed from a distance. The color palette transitions across the canvas, suggesting the shifting light of dawn, noon, sunset, and dusk. Dalí’s signature Surrealist element may be interpreted through the ethereal quality of the scene and the haunting solitude of the figures. The figures are rendered with a strong sense of solidity and volume, yet they also appear somewhat abstracted, each isolated in their stance, contributing to a contemplative or symbolic interpretation.
