Swans Reflecting Elephants - Salvador Dali

It is believed to be a demonstration of his dissatisfaction with the paths taken by surrealism at the time.

The truth is that there is a strange logic behind any delirious development (or any dream or myth).

The perfection of detail and naturalism are two of the pictorial characteristics of the author who showed the world of dreams better than anyone else.

Observing the intriguing painting, we realize that we are facing one of those double images that show exactly what is said in its title.

They are swans reflecting elephants in a desert and sunny landscape.

This is the typical Catalan landscape of Portlligat that the author represented obsessively throughout his life.

The clouds also show double images, like classical sculptures that are blurred and if we look for details, we can find treasures.

Swans Reflecting Elephants, it is worth noting that, even seeing the image of the elephants in the water, the swans are still there.

The images of the two animals are mixed, the observer sees both the elephants and the swans.

It's not just any reflection.

It's a version of the swan image.

The separation between the space of the swans and the reflection in the water may sound like, in fact, the two worlds are instigating two different looks and, therefore, present distinct images.

However, despite the clear separation between these two worlds, it is impossible to deny that the elephant form is present in the swan form, even though the two, when observed in other contexts, demonstrate substantial differences between them.

If we look with Dali's eyes, we can see that there is nothing that the swan does not have that the elephant lacks in terms of forms.

They mix and complete each other harmoniously.