Technical description of the Slvador Dali painting metamorphose de narcisse - Essay Example

Salvador Dali - Metamorphose de Narcisse When one thinks of eccentric modern painters, one of the firstnames that come to mind is that of Salvador Dali who is classified as a Surrealist. “Surrealism attempts to further our understanding of the human condition by seeking ways of fusing together our perceived conscious reality with our unconscious dream state” (Nik, 2006). The Spanish painter became well-known in his lifetime for his unusual way of looking at things and his willingness to share these visions with the greater world population. “Dalis importance for Surrealism was that he invented his own psycho technique, a method he called critical paranoia. He deliberately cultivated delusions similar to those of paranoiacs in the cause of wresting hallucinatory images from his conscious mind. Dalis images - his bent watches, his figures, halfhuman, half chest of drawers – have made him the most famous of all Surrealist painters” (Harden, 2006). Typically painting images he saw in dreams or nightmares and consistently pushing the envelope in terms of subject matter, Dali had a wide range of interests that became reflected in his artwork. These characteristics can be more fully understood by examining one of his better-known paintings such as “Metamorphose de Narcisse” which translates to “Metamorphosis of Narcissus” in English. Created in 1937, this painting falls without question into the Surrealist style. Part of the definition of Surrealism relies upon a heavy fantasy content, typically as it is revealed through the images of the subconscious, as well as an established connection with the world of which we are all aware. “The Surrealists tried to create a new art mythology by fusing conscious with unconscious levels of the mind” (Ocvirk et al, 2002: 289). Through this terminology, it becomes immediately apparent that the work of Sigmund Freud, who had but recently published his ideas regarding the three-tiered nature of the human mind, was tremendously important to the creation of Surrealist art. As the above definition indicates, most artists, including Dali, paid particular attention to what Freud said about the distinctions between and characteristics of the id, the primitive and instinctual portion of our identity that lies within the subconscious mind and remains free of societal constraints, and the ego, the conscious portion of our minds that provides us with more considered, rational behavior. Freud considered “dreams, myths, odd patterns of behavior, slips of the tongue, accidents and art” (Cernuschi, 2007) to be the means by which the subconscious mind makes itself known, thus explaining the importance of these elements to the expressions of Surrealist art. In “Metamorphosis of Narcissus,” Dali employs nearly all of these elements into a fascinating composition that has inspired conscious consideration since its first presentation. The dream state is evident in the strange juxtapositions of the various elements within the composition while the concept of myth is emphasized within the title of the piece. Odd behavior seems to be indicated upon study of the background of the piece. Although this art is audibly silent, thanks to its medium, slips of the tongue and coincidental-seeming accidents also could be interpreted in the doubled form of Narcissus as well as the duplicated head shape in the rock behind him. However, when presented as intended by the artist, this painting is not as silent as many as it is accompanied by a poem on the same subject. “When this painting was first exhibited it was accompanied by a long poem by Dalí. Together, the words and image suggest a range of emotions triggered by the theme of metamorphosis, including anxiety, disgust and desire” (Tate Museum, 2005). While the poem helps illustrate the artist’s concept, an analysis of the image itself elicits the same emotional response. In the image, two nearly identical figures take up the central foreground, yet they are similar in shape only (Tate Museum, 2007). One is a figure sitting in a pool with one knee bent up and the other knee laying down to the side. The forehead of the figure rests on the upturned knee and the arms hang limply down to the sides as Narcissus stares into the pool at his own reflection. The other figure is more prominent because of its greater contrast with the background and presents the image of a skeletal hand rising from the still water, positioned in such a way that the thumb, forefinger and middle finger support a delicately balanced egg in an inversion of the structurally stable tripod. A narcissus plant springs from a large crack on one side of the egg that is repeated with a long, crack-like shadow and flowing stick-like hair on the image of the figure. The ring finger and pinky of the skeletal hand are bent in toward the palm, completing the resemblance to the human figure and highlighting the artist’s statement regarding the painting. In addition to the flower, life and energy are again highlighted in the hand by the presence of the ants. The initial impression upon walking up to this image, then, emerges at once of representing a cyclic pattern of life and decay, hope and depression, static immobility and explosive growth, balance and imbalance, light and dark. Other images within the painting, seen upon closer inspection, illustrate this same sort of cycle. A starving dog is seen eating a fresh piece of meat, a dry wasteland is covered by blue skies and storm clouds, a young lord surveys an empty chess board with nothing left to win and a group of travelers appears to be neither coming nor going but prepared to do either. [insert image] As the title of the piece indicates, the subject of the painting is the Greek myth regarding Narcissus, a beautiful youth who caught his reflection in a still pool and fell instantly in love with it. Not able to consummate a relationship with this shadowy image, Narcissus could do nothing other than to sit at the pool and pine away, slowly becoming a part of the scenery rather than a living, growing, thinking being. “The image of Narcissus mirrors man’s idle hopes and disappointments … [he] stands for mankind’s idle pursuit of the unreal” (Grant, 1995: 335). Dali represents this youth as an almost stone figure sitting despondently within the water of the pool, slowing blending in with the landscape behind him. To serve as a reminder of this foolish youth, the Greek gods created the Narcissus flower, commonly referred to in the United States as a daffodil, a flower that contains narcotic properties producing a numbing effect. For Dali, this affirmation of the importance of life is represented in the symbolism of the egg and the flower, each dreamlike signs of growth and rebirth within the story. While the figure begins to symbolize decay, a hint of growth is indicated through the stick-like hair that flows out behind him and the optical illusion of him becoming part of the environment, providing new material upon which other things can grow. In a similar switch, the image including the living egg and flower is also touched with death in the illustration of the skeletal hand as a base. Finally, this echo in the primary image as well as the suggestion of the deep, echoing canyons behind the figure are reminiscent of Echo, the girl pining away for Narcissus, as well as the repetitious aspect of the circle of existence and ever-present metamorphosis. The painting exists in the almost exact center between naturalism and nonobjective abstraction, most comfortably falling within the context of the semi-abstract. Ocvirk et al (2002) defines the semi-abstract as “partly representational but simplified and rearranged” (15). One of Dali’s favorite modes of expression involved conceptual perception, in which he would often see shapes and images in objects that weren’t intended to convey such images, such as when one sees a dog or a horse in a cloud or identifies the face of an old man in a rock formation. He employs this device in the rendering of both the Narcissus figure and the hand image as he allows the figure to melt into the rocks and canyons of the background and allows the hand to take on the characteristics of the figure. The deliberate simplification of the Narcissus figure is necessary in order for this duplication of image to happen just as the skeletal nature of the hand is necessary in order for the similarity to emerge. Yet in each case, the exaggerated areas become integral to an understanding of the image being presented while also working to hide the figure within the image. The highlights and shadows of Narcissus’ joints become the crags and hollows of the canyons just as the exaggerated knobbiness of the finger joints on the hand become the larger joints of the body, causing the figure to re-emerge and refute the similarity just realized. At first, images in the background seem to be unrelated to the overall subject and to each other, but further investigation reveals a similar dedication to reality and unreality in equal measure. Even as some of the symbolism is being understood, viewers often feel as if they are not grasping all of the messages Dali included within the work, further heightening the concept that the piece is semi-abstract, always retaining some of its meaning for future study. “Metamorphosis of Narcissus” is a rather average sized paining, measuring approximately 20 1/8 x 30 3/4 inches or 51.1 x 78.1 centimeters. Painted in oils, Dali worked to give his painting a smooth texture free of evidentiary brush strokes or other surface distractions. He wanted the eye to focus on the images being presented rather than the method by which they were brought forward. However, he employed other tools of illusionism in order to help illustrate his point. For example, foreshortening is seen in the images of the figure and the hand to illustrate that the lower leg/thumb are closer in the picture plane to the viewer than the torso/palm. One point perspective serves to heighten the concept that the viewer is standing front and center of the tableau while scale helps to introduce the concept of three dimensional space within the picture plane, particularly as it is demonstrated between the size of the figures of the background seen between the hand and the Narcissus figure and the size of these primary images. However, the dreamscape concept is kept in the forefront as well, through the seemingly strange placement of the small starving dog just to the right of the hand. While the Narcissus figure and the hand appear to exist upon the same plane and are therefore the same size, this inconsequential little dog serves to highlight the placement of the hand within the interior space of the painting, revealing it to be in front of the Narcissus figure and thus calling into question the true size of this hand. Rather than taking on the gigantic proportions it held previously, it is realized that this hand is instead right in front of the viewer’s nose while Narcissus sits somewhat back from the viewer, deeper into the space Dali created. In addition, his use of trompe l’oeil techniques in bringing the stony face of the mountains into existence as well as the smooth contours of Narcissus’ musculature and the mirror-like surface of the pond contribute to the concept of space within the painting. The push-pull color illusionism keeps the eye moving about the painting, constantly exploring the various means by which it both creates and negates the space within. As has been discussed the image of the hand takes the dominant role in the work, closely followed by the image of Narcissus. It does this not only because it is placed near the center of the work or because it is the largest image, but because of the way in which Dali allowed the light-gray ash color of the hand to contrast against the dark clouds of the sky, the darker golds and reds of the Narcissus figure and the background images of the mountains behind. In addition, the negative space around the hand, particularly that area within the circle of the fingers, takes on new meaning as it is framed within these appendages. Because of the similarity of this image with the figure of Narcissus, this negative space is initially read as being part of the positive image in place of the torso of Narcissus. Upon realizing that this is negative space, one begins to interpret what can be seen of the background through this space. The energized diagonal stripes of the roadway becomes evident, adding yet further meaning to this particular element of the painting. By allowing the road, the path of movement, progress and continuance, to appear within the negative space of the skeletal hand, Dali further attempts to convey the sense of hope and growth within this figure. Narcissus also stands out thanks to a heavy contrast between the sunlit skin and the shadowed cliffs, however, the shadows on the figure are drawn in such a way as to allow the figure to also shrink back into the negative shadow around him, blurring the boundaries between Narcissus and the background landscape. Centered on the two main figures comprising the center, the painting has an approximate symmetry that keeps the work balanced as a whole along a central vertical axis. Typically, symmetry involves presenting an image with mirrorlike results from one side to another, however, this is not even the case when discussing the reflections of Narcissus or the mountains within the water. According to Ocvirk et al (2002), approximate symmetry refers to images in which “the visual material on one side may resemble that on the other but is varied to prevent visual monotony” (32). This is more the case in this particular painting. While the left side of the painting features a great deal of solid shapes, detailed reflections in the water, striations on the cliffs and rocks scattered along the ground help to balance the more elaborate details that can be found within the background on the right. At the same time, large shadows in the right bottom corner as well as dark storm clouds and distant dark mountains help to balance the large shapes found in the left. The harmony of overall features from one side to the other ensures a similar impression to both sides, such as the repetition of forms and angles, yet the variety found in the detailed background of chessboard and roadway behind the central hand image weights the painting slightly to the right. In addition, there are a greater quantity of elements of interest placed on the right side as well, further bringing the weight to the right. Yet the painting is not thrown into asymmetry because other elements, such as line, shape, value and color help to bring this balance back over to the left, effectively keeping the eye moving about the central areas of the image and requiring a conscious effort to begin to assess the background individually. Line plays a significant role in communicating the various moods of the work. For example, within the figure of Narcissus himself, the eye is drawn to the circular head by the upright pillar of the propped up leg. Attempting to move beyond this, the eye is then directed down the angle of the arm and back to the column of leg and thus back to the head again. In this sense, the figure represents a stationary abstraction, providing a visual example of Narcissus’ failure to move beyond the image he sees in the pool. While this same line can be seen within the form of the hand, it is broken by the lines contained within the negative space of the image. Where the torso of Narcissus tends to blend and blur back into the rocks of the cliff behind him, the background of the painting becomes sharply opposed to the containment of the hand. The sweeping curve of the road that can be seen in this area both energizes the form and directs the eye back toward the center of the painting, out of the figure itself and into a consideration of the background elements. Should the attention focus on the bright circle of the egg, the white narcissus flower growing out of it also has the tendency to direct the eye out into the other areas of the painting, this time to the brighter sky of the right upper corner and the image of father winter peeking over the mountains in imitation of Narcissus’ gaze into the pool. Diagonal lines of shadow and light play across the painting in various angles, both directing the eye back in toward the central figures as well as contributing to a sense of energy and purpose, the concept that things are always in a state of change. However, the left side features lines that tend to sweep more vertical and horizontal, emphasizing the decreased activity of change, the concept of despair over loss and encouraging the viewer to slow down and reflect upon the various messages being presented. While the right side depends upon the image of the chessboard as a means of introducing some stability, the left side relies upon the almost vertical diagonals of the mountain reflections and a series of rocks to give it some sense of inclusion in the passage of time. Much of the work is dominated by softened angles and irregular rectangular shapes that, because of their angled position, nevertheless serve to imbue the painting with a sense of uneasy stability. The heavy square rock area of the left serves to elicit a sense of solidity while its corresponding plain on the right is shadowed into a triangle pointing back toward the center and upsetting this sense of unchanging nature. The jagged presentation of the mountainous areas, complete with flame-like pathways found on the right serve to incorporate a slightly threatening stance, highlighting the inevitability of change as well as the fear and despair such change can bring with it. This concept is also found within the calming reflecting waters of the pool as the jagged edge of the cliffs become apparent only in the water rather than being seen in the sky above Narcissus. In this way, too, the direction of movement is emphasized. While the right side, representing growth and positive change points ever upwards, the left side representing decay and negative change continuously points downward. Even the assorted figures of the center serve to incorporate the sense of an instability and need for constant change in some direction; however, their various positions make it difficult to determine which direction is the proper way to go. The only two resting spots within the painting are found within the circular shapes of the head and the egg. These clear circular areas of soothing color provide the viewer with a moment to catch their breath, to think things through and to contemplate the movements taking place around them. It is a moment for contemplation rather than action, however each resolves itself into a different course based on lines already discussed, values textures and colors that encourage either continued rest and reflection or further motion and exploration. The overall value pattern of the painting tends toward the darker side of the spectrum, but incorporates areas of brighter light. The term value is typically used to refer to the light patterns, the relative lights and darks, of a given work. Dali incorporates a light chiaroscuro, or the blending of darks and lights, to provide a sense of three dimensional space and form to his figures; however, he does so only to the extent to which this dimensionality can only just begin to be grasped and no further. The mountains and the egg, for example, take on definite form and shape, but are not overly shaded so as to provide a sense of realism. Instead, they are allowed to give enough of a hint of substance to avoid presenting a two-dimensional shape, yet they retain enough of the unreal to remain primarily symbolic. This sense of symbolism evoking the dreamlike state of the subconscious reality is accomplished through tenebrism, defined by Ocvirk et al (2002) as “a technique of painting that exaggerates or emphasizes the effects of chiaroscuro. Larger amounts of dark value are placed close to smaller areas of highly contrasting lights – which change suddenly – in order to concentrate attention on important features” (118). For example, the image of Narcissus, while it can be viewed as a three dimensional figure, presenting itself to have form and weight, it can also blend easily back into the wall of the cliffs and take on a more two-dimensional aspect. This is the effect of the sharply contrasting golds and soft blacks that make up this figure coupled with the blacks and oranges of the supporting cliff. The sense of texture also plays a role in the perception of these shapes as being closer to solid objects rather than two-dimensional symbolic shapes. Dali introduces texture through his patterns of light and dark rather than through real surface texture within the brushstrokes and canvas. Vertical striations in the cliffs of the left side serve to both introduce a more stable element as well as highlight the concept that these are cliffs with sufficient detail to reasonably create the type of optical illusion that would enable a viewer to see a young man sitting down within the rock formation itself. Sweeping curves incorporated into the pavement of the roadway serve to highlight this area of the painting, make the road identifiable as such and introduce a further element of movement and direction. The wavy texture of Narcissus’ hair provides a sense of calm and peace within the despair of the desolate youth. However, even here, Dali strives to create a sense of the texture on an emotional and cognitive level rather than a physical one. This type of textural presentation is referred to as abstract texture, in which the texture is based upon the appearance created by such a texture, but the patterns and strict outlines are simplified (Ocvirk et al, 2002). However, like the painting itself, Dali focuses his efforts on providing an idea based on smooth forms such as the smooth skin of Narcissus as it contrasts with the aged and calcified forms of the rocks and the supporting hand of death from which life springs anew. As has been discussed regarding other elements of the painting, “Metamorphosis of Narcissus” is also divided vertically in terms of color. The left side of the image is dominated by warm golds and oranges, relieved only by splashes of bright blue sky framing the outside corners. This shades through to vibrant reds in the center, framing deep shade which is itself punctured by the white figures of the background. This presents an almost visual bulls-eye on the center of the painting in terms of color usage from the left. However, this pattern is echoed on the right not in color usage, but in the lines which have been previously discussed. Color on the right side is predominantly cool, from the blue-tinged fingers of the hand to the blue-gray storm clouds up above and the more prevalent use of whites and lights. Just as in the left side, the right side includes splashes of its complementary color along the outer edges, particularly in the warm orange of the empty field echoed in the chessboard pedestal and the flame-like paths seen on the distant mountains. Dali uses simultaneous contrast on this side to increase the energetic message he wishes to convey with this side. Simultaneous contrast refers to the intensification of color that occurs when two different colors come into direct contact with each other (Ocvirk, 2002). This effect is particularly strong when it occurs between complementary colors, which are colors that exist opposite each other on the color wheel, such as the blues and oranges used in this painting. Throughout the right side of the painting, blue and orange can be seen to be placed in direct contact with each other or in very close proximity, such as in the pointer finger and the field and within the clouds in the sky. However, these colors are kept distant in the left side, where large areas of deep shadow or dark storm clouds prevent these colors from being seen together. The overall tonal value of the left remains dark while the overall tonal value of the right remains light, however, these are brought into balance by the intensity of the colors. Intensity refers to the saturation of the hue such that a vivid color would be described as one of high intensity while a dull color would be described as having a low intensity (Ocvirk, 2002). The intensity of the golds on the left bring the painting back into balance with the low intensity of the right serves to push the eye to the more relaxing left. This shift in moods from left to right forces the eye to continuously move from one side to the other while reinforcing the despair and sense of decay in the darks of the left as well as the hope and the promise of change with the lights of the right. As can be seen, there are numerous aspects of the painting that serve to illustrate what Dali was attempting to communicate. Virtually no aspect of the painting can be said to not be symbolic of his dual message of despair and depressed decay and inaction with the concept of constant change, growth and hope. Repetition is obvious in the two primary figures of the foreground, the figure of Narcissus and the image of the hand, but it is also evident in the inverse of color usage from one side to the other, the similar shapes throughout the background and the diagonal framing of the entire piece. The economy of expression reduces the painting to just those elements Dali required to provide recognition for his symbolism to work, yet the images also retain a strong expressive quality that serves to elicit emotions of despair, confusion and hope as the eye moves across the canvas. Line helps establish a rhythm that is at once energetic and muted, fearful yet steady as the diagonals serve to break directions and provide a comforting framework. Diagonals also serve to bring the two halves of the painting together into a unified whole as the eye is consistently directed toward the center and then back out along these lines. This consistent push and pull of the eye through the various elements involved unify the painting even as they divide it, placing bizarre images in strange contexts with each other yet these relationships serve to explain and give meaning to the individual images. Through Dali’s use of line, color, space, shape and other elements, Dali is able to present a unified dreamscape image that successfully combines Freud’s concepts of the id and the ego while presenting the two sides of change from an emotional perspective. The final work forces viewers to consider it from both a distracted metaphysical perspective as in the dream-state as well as from the conscious state in which the knowledge of the myth of Narcissus can be known and thus related to the overall presentation. In addition, his inclusion of a long poem to discuss the images involved further indicates an attempt to engage both the subconscious imagination as well as the conscious thought centers in consideration of his work. His brilliant means of maintaining balance and harmony by repeating patterns through various elements, such as allowing color to bring the eye to the center on the left while allowing line to accomplish this goal on the right, serve to keep the painting in a constant state of precarious stability that in perfectly in tune with the message he is trying to convey. He ends up evoking a feeling much like one might feel if they were the spinning coin, standing on its edge and just waiting to find out which way it was going to drop. His presentation was so successful that even Sigmund Freud, who had long had misgivings about being the poster boy for the Surrealist movement, finally acknowledged the concepts of his work could be expressed through visual artistic means. Works Cited Cernuschi, Claude. “Surrealism.” Microsoft Encarta Encyclopedia Online. (2007). April 23, 2007 Grant, Michael. Myths of the Greeks and Romans. New York: Penguin Group, 1995. Hardin, Mark. “Dada and Surrealism.” The Archive. (2006). April 23, 2007 Nik. “About Surrealism.” Surrealism [online]. (2006). April 23, 2007 Ocvirk, Otto G; Stinson, Robert E; Wigg, Philip R; Bone, Robert O; & Cayton, David L. Art Fundamentals: Theory and Practice. (9th Ed.). Boston: McGraw Hill, 2002. Tate Museum. “Metamorphosis of Narcissus.” [image and display caption]. (December 2005). April 23, 2007 Read More