Dalí and the Golden Ratio

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Detalle de la granada de la obra “Un segundo antes del despertar de un sueño provocado por el vuelo de una abeja alrededor de una granada”, de Salvador Dalí

Dalí and the Golden Ratio

Did you know that Dalí was passionate about mathematics and geometry? That is why he contacted the Romanian mathematician Matila Ghyka to explore in depth the application of the ‘golden ratio’ to art, a subject in which Ghyka was an expert.

We discovered that Dalí organised the composition of this painting using the golden ratio in two different ways.

Firstly, inside the golden rectangle, the golden spiral runs through strategic points in the work, where the elements invisibly guide our gaze.

Secondly, Dalí employs the geometry of the golden triangle to structure the presence of the elephant within the space.

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Comparison of the transfer of the drawing from the plastic sheet to the final artwork

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Dalí's creative universe

To accurately transfer his sketches and preparatory studies onto the support, Dalí employed the drypoint engraving technique on a plastic sheet.

The comparison between the visible image and the X-ray shows the contact marks left by the mahlstick on the preparatory layer

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The mahlstick: a key tool in Dalí’s painting

Thanks to an X-ray study, we made a unique discovery in this painting. X-radiography revealed the trace of the mahlstick Dalí used.

Detail of the X-ray of Rubens’s “Venus and Cupid”

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The invisible knife

Did you know that Rubens used a knife in this work?

Rubens used this tool to apply a layer of white paint beneath the figures' skin to enhance their luminosity and volume.

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Secrets and other curiosities

Dalí and the Golden Ratio

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