“The Enigma of William Tell” is an artwork by Salvador Dali, created in 1933. This symbolic painting is a product of Dali’s engagement with Surrealism, a movement known for its exploration of the unconscious mind through bizarre and dream-like imagery. The artwork is executed in oil on canvas and measures 201.5 by 346 cm. Currently, it resides in the Moderna Museet in Stockholm, Sweden.
The artwork presents a striking and bizarre tableau that is typical of Salvador Dali’s surrealist technique. It depicts a distorted figure resembling the historic figure William Tell, but with extraordinary and grotesque modifications. The central figure’s body is elongated and truncated, with an enlarged torso resting on what appears to be a crutch-like structure, which bifurcates at the base, giving it an organic, tree-like appearance. Where one would expect the head, there is instead a dark void, suggesting a decapitation or erasure of identity.
The absence of the head is further emphasized by the apparel, particularly the crisp white collar and black bow that paradoxically denote a sense of formality and contrast with the chaos of the composition. Secured on the elongated torso by a rope is a smaller representation of the same figure, which appears to be biting into a piece of meat, adding another layer of distortion to the figure’s identity. The meat portion on the larger figure’s leg may symbolize the story of William Tell or perhaps other psychological or personal conflicts, as is common in Dali’s work.
In the left foreground, there is a shoe-topped cane or crutch that echoes the support structure of the main figure. Additionally, the lower right corner features a shadow cast by the oversized figure, where ants cluster around a small object, which may symbolize decay or the eating away at something once solid, reflecting motifs often found in Dali’s oeuvre. The background and setting of the artwork are minimalist with a spotlight effect highlighting the central figure, further focusing the viewer’s attention on the surrealistic transformation of the subject and the thought-provoking arrangement of objects and their symbolic meanings.
