Salvador Dalí's The Great Masturbator: A Surrealist Icon

Salvador Dalí's The Great Masturbator, created in 1929, is a seminal work of dreamlike surrealism. This oil on canvas painting, measuring 1.1 m x 1.5 m, is housed at the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofía in Madrid.

Historical Context

The year 1929 was decisive not only for Dalí's biography but also for the evolution of the pictorial Surrealist movement, of which this work is one of the most representative manifestations. Dalí developed his paranoid-critical method, which involved relating arbitrary images to emerging obsessions. Dalí's mastery of pictorial technique is evident: flawless and precise drawing, vibrant and luminous colors, and an almost photographic realism. The distinction from traditional painting lies in the unusual associations between elements within the canvas and the frenzied, dreamlike atmosphere surrounding his works.

Formal Analysis

Plastic Elements

The painting features surprisingly accurate details and accurate drawing, with vibrant colors. What is truly novel are the relationships between the various elements of the painting, blurring the lines between dream and hallucination. Dalí's arbitrary paranoid visions are brought to light.

Composition

The central figure, a self-portrait of the artist, is supported by a large nose. Attached to it are several symbols, including a lobster and a woman (likely Gala) whose face approaches the genitals. In The Great Masturbator, as in other later works, there is a marked contrast between the rigid landscapes and architecture, and the soft, flaccid characters.

Style

Dalí's early painting style was influenced by Pointillism, Cubism, and Futurism, but he soon evolved into Surrealism. He increasingly delved into his obsessions and, in real life, embraced a conception of art as a personal spectacle, equally dominated by commercialism and a cynical view of life.

Interpretation

Content and Significance

Dalí's imagery creates a world where hidden aspects of everyday life are impudently brought to light. Dalí had invited Paul Éluard, his partner Gala, and other Surrealists to spend time in Cadaqués. His burgeoning interest in Gala, and the sexual symbols and emotional conflicts she evoked, are central to the painting. The shells and stones, gathered during their beach walks, represent the only thing the artist could do to threaten laughter. The lobster with its belly full of ants, and the children, symbolize Dalí's fears. The elongated phallic symbol, the prominent tongue, and the 'FEL setup' are also significant. The embracing couple below features Gala as the woman, while the man on the left embodies loneliness. An 'iris woman' whose neck is a symbol of purity also appears.

Function

Dalí actively supported the self-induction of individual images, which he saw as a form of delusional paranoia. Rather than avoiding unpleasant events, this painting became an escape route for his sexual desires.