The artwork “Face of Mae West Which May Be Used as a Surrealist Apartment” is a creation of Salvador Dali, dating back to around 1935. This piece, executed in gouache, is a quintessential representation of the Surrealism movement and falls within the interior genre. The artwork is part of the collection at the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, USA.
The artwork features an anthropomorphic room cleverly designed to resemble the face of the actress Mae West when viewed from a specific angle. The elements within the room—such as the curtains, furniture, and paintings—come together to create the illusion of her facial features. The voluptuous curtains double as the hair, sweeping down on either side, while paintings on the wall mimic the position of eyes. A sofa is strategically placed to suggest the shape of lips, and a fireplace mantle with a decorative accessory forms the nose. The use of exaggerated forms and spatial manipulation is indicative of Dali’s distinctive Surrealist style, wherein ordinary objects are transformed into dream-like and often bizarre compositions. This room invites viewers into an alternate reality, exemplifying the fusion of art, design, and optical illusion characteristic of Dali’s imaginative oeuvre.
