“The First Study for the Madonna of Port Lligat” is an oil on canvas artwork by Salvador Dali, dating back to 1949. It epitomizes the Surrealism art movement, measuring 48.9 x 37.5 cm. Classified as a religious painting, this artwork is held in the collection of the Haggerty Museum of Art at Marquette University in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, United States.
The artwork presents a complex blend of the sacred and the surreal. At the center rests an image of the Madonna, draped richly in folds of cloth that defy strict physical interpretation, given their fluid and almost dreamlike portrayal. Her visage is somber and reflective, suggesting a deep spiritual communion. Dali’s signature standpoints—the suspended shell with a pearl, stark architectural forms, and the expansive landscape—frame the Madonna, while the desolate backdrop with serene water and distant land formations emphasizes the setting’s serene isolation. Unconventional elements, including the open pomegranate framing an embryonic human form at the Madonna’s chest and the sea urchin on the ledge, imbue the painting with symbols of fertility and Christological references, reaffirming the painting’s religious connotations through a surreal lens. Each element contributes to an atmosphere that is at once tranquil and unsettling, characteristic of Dali’s ability to challenge the viewer’s perception of reality.
