The artwork titled “Myself at the Age of Ten When I Was the Grasshopper Child” is a surreal self-portrait by Salvador Dali, created in 1933. This piece is a testament to Dali’s participation in the Surrealist movement, a genre known for its exploration of the unconscious mind through peculiar and dream-like imagery. The artwork represents a deeply introspective view into the artist’s childhood.
In this self-portrait, the scene is set within a desolate and expansive landscape, under a strikingly blue sky. An oversized figure resembling a child is positioned under a table, which dominates the foreground of the artwork. This figure’s head is substituted by a closed book, suggesting perhaps an evasion from identity or an implication of the knowledge within oneself. The disproportionate grasshopper positioned near the foreground is associated with the title of the piece and elicits a sense of discomfort reinforced by the juxtaposition of normal and abnormal scaling of objects. These surreal elements are typical of Dali’s style, aiming to disrupt the logical order and tap into subconscious associations. The distant horizon and the use of shadows create an eerie, almost haunting atmosphere, allowing the viewer to ponder the connection between the figures and the desolate landscape surrounding them.
