Salvador Dali’s “Partial Hallucination: Six Apparitions of Lenin on a Piano” is a symbolic painting created in 1931 that partakes of the Surrealist movement. This oil on canvas artwork spans 114 by 146 centimeters and is housed at the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, France. It is a testament to Dali’s distinctive approach to depicting dream-like visions by employing everyday objects in unexpected juxtapositions.
The artwork portrays an intriguing indoor scene that includes a figure seated with its back to the viewer, looking towards an open door revealing a bright landscape. The figure’s attire suggests a formal, perhaps historically inspired costume, and it appears to be positioned in a reflective or contemplative state. The central focus is a grand piano, its lid opened to reveal six busts resembling Vladimir Lenin lined on its soundboard, rather than musical strings. An array of cherry-like red fruits sits on a fabric-draped chair and a handkerchief, both near the seated figure. These elements lend a vivid touch of color to an otherwise muted palette, contrasting with the piano’s dark interior. The combination of portraiture with inanimate objects, and the mysterious appearance of Lenin’s effigies, underscores the bizarre and hallucinatory quality typical of Dali’s surrealist works. The room encapsulates a quiet atmosphere, leaving the narrative open to interpretation while the incorporation of disparate objects and figures imbues the artwork with a sense of enigma and symbolic depth.
