The artwork titled “Portrait of Gala with a Lobster (Portrait of Gala with Aeroplane Nose)” is a surrealist portrait created by the renowned artist Salvador Dali around 1934. The painting typifies the Surrealism art movement, in which Dali was a central figure, and depicts a portrait which likely engages with unconventional symbolism and dream-like imagery characteristic of Dali’s oeuvre.
Upon examining the artwork, one can observe a detailed and realistic portrayal of a woman’s profile. Her facial features are sharply defined, with a particular emphasis on her intense gaze and the contours of her nose and lips. However, the portrait diverges from realism through the juxtaposition of unexpected elements, reflective of the Surrealist aim to resolve the contradictory conditions of dream and reality.
Resting atop the figure’s head is a sizeable lobster, an incongruent addition that entwines with her hair, introducing a disconcerting contrast between the ordinary and the absurd, a hallmark of Dali’s style. Additionally, the woman appears to have an aeroplane, more specifically its nose, substituting for her own, extending from her face in place of her nose. This merging of human and non-human elements creates an otherworldly effect.
The background of the portrait is notably sparse, and the incomplete rendering of the woman’s hair and head suggests that the work might deliberately leave some parts to the viewer’s imagination or allude to the fragmentary nature of memory and dreams. The monochromatic palette further accentuates the dramatic interplay between the real and the surreal elements within this piece.
