The artwork “Portrait of Frau. Isabel Styler-Tas” by Salvador Dali, created in 1945, is a surrealistic oil on canvas that measures 65.5 x 86 cm. As a representative piece of the surrealism movement, this portrait genre artwork showcases Dali’s unique and dreamlike interpretation of reality.
In the artwork, Dali presents a dual image, one being a lifelike portrayal of Frau. Isabel Styler-Tas herself, dressed elegantly with a prominent fur hat and a rich, ruddy garment decorated with elaborate jewelry. Her pose is reflective and statuesque, looking off to the side as though deep in contemplation. The verisimilitude of her figure is countered by the surreal and complex background.
The other image is embedded within the natural landscape behind the subject, where the outline of a rocky cliff formation surreptitiously doubles as the profile of a face—a typical motif of Dali’s method of double imagery. The landscape extends into a serene yet barren vista punctuated by sparse trees, distant mountains and isolated architectural elements. Dali’s use of cool blues juxtaposed against the warm tones of the subject’s attire adds tension and a sense of otherworldliness to the scene.
The juxtaposition of the realistic and the surreal creates a visual metaphor that challenges the viewer’s perception of reality and dreams. By blending human features with the elements of the landscape, Dali blurs the line between the conscious and subconscious realms, inviting the observer to explore a deeper narrative beyond the mere representation of the subject.
