The artwork “Woman with a Head of Roses” is an evocative piece created by Salvador Dali in 1935, belonging to the Surrealist movement. Measuring 35 x 27 cm, it is a symbolic painting that reflects the unconventional and dream-like imagery typical of Dali’s oeuvre.
In the artwork, the central figure is a woman standing with her back facing the viewer, her head has been replaced by an explosion of roses, which is a recurring theme within Dali’s works, symbolizing feminine beauty and metamorphosis. Her body is elongated and draped in a semi-transparent green fabric that clings to her form, suggesting motion or transformation. The background features a desolate landscape under a twilight or early night sky, with a wood plank floor that seems to lead into the distance.
On the left, another figure is visible, possibly a woman in a colorful, skin-tight garment and heels, who seems to hold a crutch or a stick and peers into a small sea shell. She stands near a chair that has been distorted and fluidly melts into the floor. To the right, a foreboding stone figure, reminiscent of a classical bust, appears to be mid-scream or perhaps in a state of anguish. The presence of this figure provides a stark juxtaposition to the otherwise fluid and transformative elements of the composition.
The surface of the wood planks is accented with various objects that may hold symbolic significance, including a small, perfectly round sphere and a distorted white object that could be interpreted in myriad ways, inviting viewers to delve into their own subconscious for interpretation, as Surrealist art often encourages. The atmosphere conjured by the piece is one of mystery and the unconventional, hallmarks of the Surrealist movement to which Dali contributed so influentially.
