The exhibition reveals how one of art’s great provocateurs, Salvador Dalí, was also a lifelong scholar of the European painters he set out to join, with an accompanying catalog including an interview with the celebrated contemporary artist Jeff Koons.
ST. PETERSBURG, FLA. — This fall, The Dalí Museum will present Dalí: Disruption + Devotion, a special exhibition exploring how Salvador Dalí made the European tradition the raw material of his own art, restaging its great predecessors to claim a place among them.
Co-organized with the Museum of Fine Arts, Boston, through a collection of rarely lent works, the exhibition opens November 7, 2026, and remains on view through April 18, 2027. Featuring 64 paintings and works on paper spanning five centuries, Dalí: Disruption + Devotion places Dalí’s work in context with renowned predecessors including El Greco, Diego Velázquez, Luis Meléndez and Francisco Goya.
“These classical works were essential to Dalí. By weaving together the compositional mastery of the past with the restless imagination of his own time, Dalí set out to join the artists he studied and in doing so, showed that art remains a living conversation, one that honors its origins even as it pushes into new territory,” said Hank Hine, Executive Director of The Dalí Museum.
Rather than rejecting tradition, the exhibition argues that Dalí continuously returned to it, reworking classical compositions, religious imagery, portraiture and still-life painting into psychologically charged and technically daring new forms. Organized by six thematic sections—Fantasy and Nightmare; The Last Old Master; Velázquez and the Portrait; Not So Still Life; Higher Callings; and Inexorable Time—the exhibition reveals Dalí as a painter who mined the whole history of art to fashion himself into its latest heir.
“Salvador Dalí can’t be categorized easily. He was a painter, printmaker, author, filmmaker, performer, jewelry designer and much more,” said Frederick Ilchman, Chair and Mrs. Russell W. Baker Curator of Paintings, Art of Europe, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston. “But he was also an art historian with a deep knowledge of the great European artists who preceded him. This exhibition offers an unexpected view of the famous artist, revealing that a showman could also be profound.”
Highlights of Dalí: Disruption + Devotion include:
- Velázquez and Portraiture: Pairings, including Velázquez’s Infanta Maria Theresa and Dalí’s Velázquez Painting the Infanta Marguerita with the Lights and Shadows of His Own Glory, explore Dalí’s fascination with Spanish court painting, artistic identity and legacy.
- Dalí Reimagines Goya: Dalí’s Les Caprices de Goya heliogravures are shown beside Goya’s original etchings, highlighting how Dalí transformed historic imagery through surrealist interventions, dry point additions and vivid color.
- Higher Callings: Religious paintings and imagery connected to El Greco, Ribera and Orazio Gentileschi reveal how themes of mysticism, faith and transcendence continued to shape Dalí’s artistic imagination.
Set against The Dalí Museum’s permanent collection, the exhibition is further enriched by Dalí’s Biblia Sacra and Changes in Great Masterpieces series, examining his simultaneous reverence for and reinvention of religious and artistic traditions.
Accompanying the exhibition is its inaugural scholarly catalog for Dalí: Disruption + Devotion. Edited by the curators of the exhibition Dr. Frederick Ilchman and Dr. Jennifer Cohen, Director of Curatorial Affairs at The Dalí Museum, the catalog includes contributions by Dr. Julia Vázquez, Dr. Claire Howard, Emma Kohlmayer and Dr. William Jeffett. The publication expands on the exhibition’s themes through in-depth essays and features a new interview with contemporary artist Jeff Koons, who reflects on Dalí’s enduring influence and the lasting dialogue between historical and contemporary art—a rare pairing of art’s great provocateurs, past and present.
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About The Dalí Museum
The Dalí Museum, located in downtown St. Petersburg, Fla., is home to a preeminent collection of the Salvador Dalí’s works, with more than 3,000 works representing every period and medium of the artist’s creative life. The Dalí is recognized internationally by the Michelin Guide with its highest three-star rating; has been named one of seven museums globally that showcase the future by CNN Travel; named one of the 10 most interesting museums in the world by Architectural Digest; and celebrated in 2025 by readers of USA Today as one of the top ten art museums in America. The Dalí Museum’s acclaimed digital experiences have received numerous national and international awards for creative innovation. The Museum is a not-for-profit organization whose mission is to preserve Dalí’s legacy for generations to come and serve as an active resource in the cultural life of the community and the world at large. Open daily at One Dalí Boulevard, St. Petersburg, Fla. 33701, The Dalí welcomes all as unique individuals and is committed to making its collection, exhibitions, building and programs accessible. For more information, visit TheDali.org or explore Bloomberg Connects for The Dalí Museum’s free mobile guide.
ABOUT THE MUSEUM OF FINE ARTS, BOSTON
The MFA Boston brings many worlds together through art. Showcasing masterpieces from ancient to contemporary, the renowned collection of more than half a million works tells a multifaceted story of the human experience—a story that holds unique meaning for everyone. From Boston locals to international travelers, visitors from all over come to experience the MFA Boston—where they reveal connections, explore differences and create a community where all belong. Plan your visit at mfa.org.
Media Contacts
For more information, please contact:
The Dalí Museum
Dali@LouHammond.com