The artwork entitled “Sometimes I Spit with Pleasure on the Portrait of my Mother (The Sacred Heart)” was created by the renowned artist Salvador Dalí in 1929. This piece is rendered in ink on cardboard and reflects the Dada and Surrealist movements popular during that time. The dimensions of the artwork are 68.3 cm by 51.1 cm. Classified as a symbolic painting, it currently resides in the collection of the Georges Pompidou Center in Paris, France.
The artwork presents a provocative and abstract representation. At its center is an incomplete, outline drawing of what appears to be a nun, coupled with typography that forms a significant element of the piece. The text within the artwork, inscribed with a similar intensity as the illustration, reveals a deeply personal and potentially unsettling sentiment. The text and the evocative title suggest a complex and troubled relationship between the artist and his mother, encapsulated by the symbolic nature of the work which is typical of Dalí’s early Surrealist period. The overall composition and the sentiments expressed are reflective of the boundary-pushing nature of Surrealism and Dada, merging text and image to challenge traditional norms and provoke contemplation from the viewer.
