The artwork titled “Muliere peccatrici remittuntur peccata multa” was created by the surrealist artist Salvador Dalí between 1964 and 1967. Rendered in gouache, this work is part of the expressionist and symbolist movements and falls under the genre of religious painting. It is one piece of “The Biblia Sacra” series, which consists of illustrations Dalí made for a version of the Holy Bible.
In the artwork, the viewer is presented with a composition that merges figuration with abstraction, a characteristic approach of Dalí’s expressive and symbolic artistry. The central figure appears to be a female form, rendered with delicate, sketch-like lines, giving her a sense of translucency or ethereality amidst the bolder hues that surround her. The use of color is vibrant, with rich browns, purples, and splashes of other colors creating a backdrop that appears to fluctuate in both tone and intensity. These colors may represent the tumultuous emotions and spiritual gravity of the subject.
The title suggests a theme of redemption and forgiveness, hinting at a narrative where a woman’s many sins are absolved. This context, alongside the religious undertone of the series, leads to an interpretation that this depiction is likely to be inspired by a biblical story, possibly portraying a moment of divine grace or spiritual transformation.
Dalí’s piece is marked by a dramatic interaction between light and dark, fluidity, and a sense of movement that seems to both frame and elevate the figure within the composition, reinforcing the artwork’s emotional and symbolic resonance. As a religious painting, it engages with the themes of sin and redemption through the lens of Dalí’s unique visual language, offering a deeply personal interpretation of timeless spiritual concepts.
