“Still Life with Aubergines” is a notable artwork by Salvador Dali, created in the year 1922, during an era when Dali was influenced by the Post-Impressionist movement. This piece of art falls within the genre of still life, a category that focuses on inanimate subject matter, typically commonplace objects which may be either natural or man-made.
The artwork itself depicts a traditional still life arrangement comprising a variety of fruit and vegetables resting on a draped cloth. Two aubergines are prominent within the composition, one lying on a transparent dish beside halves of what appears to be oranges or lemons, and another aubergine is seen below the plate, near the center of the canvas. Adjacent to the aubergines is an open fruit, possibly a pear, bisected and containing a seed at its core. A knife with a black handle lies alongside the sliced fruit, suggesting the act of preparation or consumption. Dali’s brushwork in this artwork is expressive, capturing the texture and form of the fruits and the folds of the drapery with a high level of realism, which is characteristic of Post-Impressionistic influences. The painting not only exhibits Dali’s skill in rendering objects with a meticulous attention to detail but also offers a glimpse into his early explorations with form and light before his later shift to Surrealism. The date of creation, prominently positioned at the upper right of the canvas, serves as a testament to the period of its creation.
