The artwork titled “Portrait of Juan de Pareja Repairing a String of His Mandolin” was created by Salvador Dali in the year 1960. This piece is categorized within the genre painting style and is associated with the Surrealism movement. Surrealism is known for its visual explorations of the unconscious mind and dreamlike scenes that often defy conventional logic or perspective.
This particular artwork by Dali demonstrates many of the hallmarks of Surrealism. It is an intricate scene that combines elements of reality with the fantastic and exaggerated, creating a landscape that is as enigmatic as it is stirring. The composition seems to swirl around the central figure of Juan de Pareja, who is depicted in a distorted form, engaging with his mandolin in a room that appears to be transforming and collapsing around him. Various objects, including chairs and instruments, are strewn about and seem to be melting or flowing into one another. This creates a sense of movement and fluidity that is surreal and purposefully disorienting. The overall effect is one of dynamic tension, suggesting both creation and deconstruction happening simultaneously.