The artwork “Equestrian Portrait of Carmen Bordiu-Franco” was created by Salvador Dali in 1974, during his engagement with the Surrealism movement. This portrait represents the unique stylistic characteristics associated with Dali’s approach to art, exemplifying the use of dream-like imagery to challenge conventional perceptions of reality.
The artwork portrays a young woman, Carmen Bordiu-Franco, mounted on a horse that appears to straddle a split horizon. The figure of Carmen is depicted with a serene expression, sitting sidesaddle with one leg dangling over the side. Her attire is simple and elegant, which contrasts with the surreal landscape around her. The horse itself is surrealistically elongated and translucent in parts, revealing a desolate, yet compelling dreamscape within its form.
In the background, to the left behind the horse’s head, the viewer observes a dusky sky merging into a golden horizon that hosts distant architectural structures, perhaps suggesting the presence of a city or a town. On the body of the horse, various scenes unfold, including diminutive human figures and activities that are difficult to discern in detail but add to the fantastical nature of the piece. The technique blends realism in the depiction of the figure with the utterly surreal deformations of the horse, creating a dream-like scene that embodies the surreal quality and avant-garde spirit characteristic of Dali’s oeuvre.
