The artwork titled “Inaugural Gooseflesh,” created by Salvador Dali in 1928, is an oil on cardboard piece representative of the Surrealism movement. This symbolic painting is part of a private collection. Dali, known for his intricate and bizarre works, often features dreamlike imagery and symbolism that provoke thought and emotional responses.
The artwork presents a vast blue sky as the backdrop, dominated by a cluster of amorphous white forms that resemble melting or soft objects ascending or floating in the space. At the lower part of the composition lay several white, irregularly shaped objects that could be interpreted as geologic or organic forms. The central area displays these forms arranged on what appears to be a flat surface with a distinctive pattern, reminiscent of a type of tiling or decorative artwork, infusing the piece with a juxtaposition of motion and stillness.
On the right periphery of the artwork is a humanoid figure that seems to be disintegrating or transforming, with parts of its anatomy stretched and morphing into the surreal environment. This inclusion of the partially disintegrated figure reinforces the painting’s dreamlike and symbolic nature, inviting contemplation on the themes of metamorphosis and the subconscious. The overall composition is characteristic of Dali’s oeuvre, wherein he frequently explored the boundaries of perception and reality through surreal and often unsettling visual narratives.
