The artwork “My Wife, Nude, Contemplating Her Own Flesh Becoming Stairs, Three Vertebrae of a Column, Sky and Architecture” is an oil on wood painting created by Salvador Dali in 1945. With dimensions of 61 by 65 centimeters, this portrait is situated within the realms of Realism and Surrealism, and it is housed at the San Francisco Museum of Modern Art (SFMOMA) in San Francisco, California, United States.
The artwork presents a striking and enigmatic portrayal, combining elements of reality with the fantastical. At first glance, the viewer is met with the depiction of a nude woman seen from behind, the contours of her back and the softness of her skin rendered with a realism that is characteristic of Dali’s technical skill. Her hair is neatly arranged and she is seated against a neutral backdrop that hints at an interior space.
However, upon further examination, the piece reveals its surreal qualities. To the right of the woman, the space transforms into a surreal landscape wherein her flesh metamorphoses into a series of stairs. The stairs give way to three vertebrae that rise like a column, merging the organic with the architectural. In the distance, a peculiar structure with open arches and uncanny forms overlooks a serene sky, introducing a dreamlike atmosphere that challenges the perception of space and reality.
The duality of the composition, pairing meticulously detailed realism with fantastical transformations, invites viewers into a meditative exploration of the human form and its relation to the surrounding environment. Dali’s masterful technique and imaginative concepts are evident, as he weaves together the tangible and the imagined, provoking contemplation on the nature of existence and the boundaries of the human experience.
