Salvador Dali and Gala: Love Beyond the Surreal.
Salvador Dali was a Spanish Surrealist painter. He stood out for his bizzare dreamscapes and eccentric imagery. His art work expressed the depths of his fine imagination and subconcious desires. Through his paintings he depicted a dream world in which commonplace objects are juxtaposed, deformed, or metamorphosed in a strange and irrational fashion. He was once quoted as saying, “Modesty is not exactly my speciality”. Dali was an artist with fierce talent and hightened passion. However, behind the flaboyant persona and incredible canvasas was a love story that rivaled the surrealism of his works. Gala, born Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, would become his ultimate muse and all encompasing love. She later became his manager, overseeing his work and commitments. Dali would be inspired by her beauty and charm, as Gala became the subject of many of his works. Dali’s painting “Gala Contemplating the Mediterranean Sea”, showcases her in a venerating light.
Gala was married to the surrealist poet Paul Eluard and mother of a little girl when she met Dali. Paul and Gala made a trip to Cadaques, in August of 1929. They were joined by Rene Magritte on a visit to see Salvador Dali in his home town of Costa Brava. It was during this time that Dali falls in love with Gala, even though she was a married mother of one, and 10 years older than him. Gala considered Dali to be a…
