Dalí was born in the town of Figueres, Spain located inland at the foot of the Pyrenees near the French border. The landscape in this region has been a major inspiration and influence on all of Dalí’s work. In the summers, the Dalí family often retreated to their residence in the nearby coastal town of Cadaqués, where they stayed annually for many years.
This view of Cadaqués from the rock terraces above the Dalí family home was painted during Dalí’s second year at the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts.
He chooses a powerful composition from his homeland, presenting its tranquility in historic form. The style of the Post-Impressionist painter Paul Cézanne (1839-1906) is evident in the geometric treatment of the landscape and village. The design of the trees – sinuous, rhythmic, and echoing the shape of the balloon in the sky – contrasts with the blocky houses in the distance.
If the seven young women in the foreground appear similar to one another, it is because Dalí used his sister, Ana María (1908-1990), as the model for all of them. Ana María was Dalí’s only sibling and was his primary model for his paintings in the early years until the artist met Gala, his future wife, in 1929.
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Dali and his Family |
