The artwork “Turris Babel,” created between 1964 and 1967 by Salvador Dali, is rendered in gouache. This piece aligns with the Expressionism and Symbolism art movements and is classified as a religious painting. It is part of “The Biblia Sacra” series which illustrates themes and narratives from the Holy Scriptures.
Examining the artwork, one observes a representation of the Tower of Babel, an iconic biblical structure that symbolizes humanity’s pride and eventual confusion of languages as described in the Book of Genesis. The tower itself is rendered with a curving, spiraling form, suggesting instability and a sense of impending collapse. This distortion is typical of Dali’s surrealist influence, as he often played with perception and form.
Evident in the artwork is Dali’s use of rich, earthy tones, which provide a sense of age and antiquity befitting the biblical subject matter. The tower’s architecture is detailed, showing bricks and construction features that give an impression of a massive, albeit unfinished, edifice. Scattered cranes and scaffolding cling to the sides, indicating the ongoing nature of the construction efforts.
In the background, there is a hint of a landscape under a sky that transitions from a dusky orange to a cloudy green, evoking a mood of tumult and divine intervention. One may interpret the clouds as an allusion to the divine wrath that halted the tower’s construction and scattered the people.
The artwork carries the weight of the narrative through its expressive but precise depiction, encapsulating themes of ambition, confusion, and the consequences of human hubris as relayed through a biblical lens. Dali’s “Turris Babel” invites contemplation on the timeless stories that continue to resonate in contemporary culture.
