Dalí & the Impressionists: Monet, Renoir, Degas & More explores Salvador Dalí’s most important early influencers. To demonstrate the range and depth of Dalí’s engagement with the Impressionist movement, this exhibition presents 18 of Dalí’s early paintings in conjunction with a diverse selection of 22 French Impressionist paintings by 18 artists from the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston (MFA), one of the preeminent collections of French Impressionism in the U.S. Among the artists on view are Claude Monet, Edgar Degas, Pierre-Auguste Renoir, Henri Matisse and Paul Cézanne. Many of the pieces on display will be on view for the first time in the state of Florida, offering a rare opportunity to view these French Impressionist masterpieces.
In his early years, Dalí was highly aware of the work of the Impressionists and used them as a reference point. From 1918-1924, the artist embraced the Impressionist approach, marking the little-known initiation of his evolving painting style. By probing the formative role of Dalí’s early engagement with the Impressionist and Post-Impressionist work that came to his attention in his youth, the Museum is exploring the gap between Impressionism and Surrealism approaches to art and life that overlapped in the history of the 20th century.
Seemingly worlds apart, Surrealists sought to release the creative potential of the unconscious mind, while Impressionists attempted to portray the reality of contemporary life in terms of transient effects of light and color. Though the two methods may seem at odds, they both relied on painterly representations to create a compelling sense of lived experience.
Dalí’s affinity for Impressionism persisted in his affection for the land of Emporia, the Costa Brava landscape in which he was born. As he examined the discontinuities and paradoxes of lived experience, Dalí’s explorations on the deep perspectives and distant mountains of his homeland became synonymous with the landscape of the surreal.
This special exhibition is included in the price of general admission. To reserve your ticket for this exhibit, book your visit during the exhibit timeframe (November 18, 2023 – April 28, 2024). Tickets are typically available up to 30 days in advance.
Download the free Dalí Museum App to enjoy the audio tour, available in both English and Spanish.
This exhibition is organized in partnership with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston.
Image credit: In the USA ©Salvador Dalí Museum, Inc. St. Petersburg, FL 2023 / Worldwide rights ©Salvador Dalí. Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí (Artists Rights Society), 2023.