“The Enigma of My Desire or My Mother, My Mother, My Mother” is a symbolic painting by Salvador Dali, a notable artist of the Surrealist movement. Created in 1929, this artwork is an oil on canvas piece that measures 110 by 150.7 cm. Its placement within the Surrealism art movement is vital, as the genre is known for its exploration of the unconscious mind and dream imagery.
The artwork presents a vast, desolate landscape under a pale sky. Dominating the central foreground is an amorphous, ochre formation riddled with openings, many of which are inscribed with the repetitive phrase “ma mère” (my mother in French), expressing a personal or psychological significance. This bizarre structure appears to sit upon a limp, disintegrating figure resembling a face, furthering the sense of unease and the uncanny. In the background, through the openings of the strange form, two more traditionally rendered scenes are visible: one appears to be a desolate architectural structure, while the other is a rocky landscape with two figures, possibly referencing Dali’s relationship with his own mother or familial dynamics. The small, smooth stone or egg lying near the bottom of the painting adds to the richness of symbolic elements, often read as a symbol of hope or the genesis of new ideas in Dali’s work. The overall composition, filled with contrasts between the organic, decaying figure at its base, and the nonsensical, Swiss-cheese-like mass, creates a dream-like tableau that defies logical analysis and evokes a deep emotional response.
