Salvador Dali Atomicus Photo

Salvador Dali Atomicus Photo

This image known as The Dali Atomicus is at the MoMA in New York City.

The 1948 work Salvador Dali Atomicus explores the idea of suspension, depicting three cats flying, water thrown from a bucket, an easel, a footstool and Salvador Dalí all seemingly suspended in mid-air. The title of the photograph is a reference to Dalí’s work Leda Atomica – at that which can be seen in the right of the photograph behind the two cats. Philippe Halsman reported that it took 28 attempts to be satisfied with the result.

The photographer counts: One. . . His wife Yvonne holds the chair up. Two. . . The assistants get ready with the water and the cats. Three. . . The assistants throw the cats from the right and the bucket of water from the left. Four… Salvador Dali jumps… and milliseconds later – Philippe Halsman takes the photo. Click! . . . Actually – 28 times “Click!”.

Dali Atomicus With Wires

The Persistence of Memory, in Spanish La persistencia de la memoria is a 1931 painting by artist Salvador Dali, and is one of his most recognizable works.

The Persistence of Memory

First shown at the Julien Levy Gallery in 1932, the painting has been in the collection of the Museum of Modern Art, MoMA in New York City since 1934 which received it from an anonymous donor. It is widely recognized and frequently referenced in popular culture, though it is commonly better known by the more descriptive titles, ‘The Soft Watches’ or ‘The Melting Watches’.