Untitled (Dream of Venus) formerly Visions of Eternity

Salvador DalíWW-1939-016149

1939·Oil on canvas·207 × 117.5 cm (81 1/2 × 46 1/4 in.)

<p>This painting originally comprised the left-most portion of a much larger mural featured in the popular and salacious Dream of Venus pavilion, which Dalí created for the 1939 New York World’s Fair. Incorporating the artist’s major iconography of the decade, including a melting clock and a burning giraffe, the mural hung in the “dry” portion of the presentation. The adjacent “wet” aquarium featured a burlesque performance that complemented the pavilion’s celebration of classical beauty. The arched passage in this painting was mirrored on the mural’s right side in a panel that remains lost today.</p>

Catalogue

Year: 1939
Medium: Oil on canvas
Dimensions: 207 × 117.5 cm (81 1/2 × 46 1/4 in.)
Collection: Art Institute of Chicago
Artist: Salvador Dalí

Artist

Salvador Dalí

Painting

S alvador Dalí, the legendary Spanish Surrealist, became world-famous for his dreamlike masterpieces—most notably The Persistence of Memory—as well as his eccentric persona and boundary-pushing explorations in film, sculpture, fashion, and design. Today, Dalí’s visionary works are celebrated in major museums worldwide and continue to show strong performance at auction, solidifying his status as one of the 20th century’s most influential artists.

Figueres, Spain

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