The artwork titled “Portrait of Gala” was created by Salvador Dali around 1941 and embodies elements of Realism and Surrealism. The medium of the artwork is pencil on paper, and it falls under the genre of nude painting (nu). Dali rendered this piece with a keen eye for detail, capturing the essence of his subject with a delicate and refined hand.
The artwork presents a striking portrait of a woman, believed to be Gala, who was not only Dali’s wife but also his muse and frequent subject in his works. Her gaze is intense and direct, engaging the viewer with a sense of depth and complexity. Her bare shoulder and the suggestion of nudity are rendered with soft, delicate shading that creates a realistic depiction of her form. Despite the emphasis on realism in the rendering of her figure, the portrait carries an air of Surrealism, which is characteristic of Dali’s broader oeuvre. This blend of artistic movements can be seen in the subtle play of light and shadow, and the dreamlike quality that suffuses the work, suggesting layers of meaning beneath the surface appearance.
