The artwork titled “Wheat Ear” was created by Salvador Dali in 1947 and is an exemplar of Realism within the flower painting genre. Despite Dali’s renown for his surrealist works, this piece diverges from that style, as it depicts its subject with a high level of detail and naturalistic approach that aligns with Realist principles.
In “Wheat Ear,” the viewer is presented with a solitary spike of wheat that stands out against a stark, dark background. The sharp contrast amplifies the intricate detail with which Dali has rendered the wheat, highlighting each kernel and the delicate strands that extend from the ear. The composition is simple yet evocative, allowing the viewer to focus solely on the wheat ear itself, which appears almost suspended in the space of the canvas. The realism of the wheat is faithfully captured down to the finest detail, with a lifelike representation that invites contemplation not only of the wheat’s aesthetic form but perhaps also of its symbolic significance in terms of fertility, growth, and sustenance.
