Dali, Salvador - Apparatus and Hand, 1927 - art postcard (Tate)

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Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, 1st Marquess of Dalí de Púbol gcYC (/ˈdɑːli, dɑːˈliː/;[1] Catalan: [səlβəˈðo ðəˈli]; Spanish: [salβaˈðoɾ ðaˈli];[2] 11 May 1904 – 23 January 1989) was a Spanish surrealist artist renowned for his technical skill, precise draftsmanship and the striking and bizarre images in his work.

Born in Figueres, Catalonia, Dalí received his formal education in fine arts in Madrid. Influenced by Impressionism and the Renaissance masters from a young age, he became increasingly attracted to Cubism and avant-garde movements.[3] He moved closer to Surrealism in the late 1920s and joined the Surrealist group in 1929, soon becoming one of its leading exponents. His best-known work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in August 1931, and is one of the most famous Surrealist paintings. Dalí lived in France throughout the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939) before leaving for the United States in 1940 where he achieved commercial success. He returned to Spain in 1948 where he announced his return to the Catholic faith and developed his "nuclear mysticism" style, based on his interest in classicism, mysticism and recent scientific developments.[4]

Dalí's artistic repertoire included painting, graphic arts, film, sculpture, design and photography, at times in collaboration with other artists. He also wrote fiction, poetry, autobiography, essays and criticism. Major themes in his work include dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and his closest personal relationships. To the dismay of those who held his work in high regard, and to the irritation of his critics, his eccentric and ostentatious public behavior often drew more attention than his artwork.[5][6] His public support for the Francoist regime, his commercial activities and the quality and authenticity of some of his late works have also been controversial.[7] His life and work were an important influence on other Surrealists, pop art and contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.[8][9]

There are two major museums devoted to Salvador Dalí's work: the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres, Spain, and the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida.

Apparatus and Hand is a 1927 painting by Salvador Dalí. The painting currently resides at the Salvador Dalí Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida. This work is on loan from the collection of Mr. and Mrs. A Reynolds Morse.[1]

Description
This work of surrealistic art showcases a geometric figure with a tumescent red hand protruding from its head. The figure is composed of cones and triangles. Surrounding the structure are ghostly images of nude female figures and torsos superimposed on a blue, watery dreamscape. This piece was done upon Dalí's return from 9 months of military duty. It was during his military career that Dalí began experimenting with new subjects for his work. The Apparatus in the title refers to the geometric figure which is structured much like the human form. The figure has analogues of human arms, legs, an eye, and a head. The triangular being is propped up on what appears to be a cane, which was a leitmotif in Dalí's work representing the fragility of sleep.

The hand atop the figure's head is a reference to Onanism, which was a common theme in his work at the time. This period of Dalí's career is referred to as the Freudian Period. This was during the Avant-Garde movement which was heavily weighted on the writings of Freud.[2] The female images surrounding the geometric figure are representative of thoughts within the mind of the Apparatus. These images represent the delirious erotic thought processes of the artist, which was also a prevailing theme of his work.[3]

To the left of the geometric man is an image of a donkey on its hind legs. The donkey is being consumed by a horde of flies which are attacking its belly. This is indicative of the decomposition of the creature. On the right of the structure is a classically posed female, which is set in contrast to the geometric simplicity of the center image.[4]