Inspired by Einstein's theory of relativity, Salvador Dali depicted this world-famous melting clock. They remind us of the transience of our existence and sometimes give rise to deep reflection. It is not for nothing that the painting “The Persistence of Memory” is still actively discussed in creative circles.

Modern designers have brought this idea to life and we are pleased to present you an original element for the interior - Salvador Dali's melting elements. Based on this idea, a melting bottle in the shape of a watch was also created. With us you can choose any model (the selection option is available in the field above the price).

Salvador Dali's watch is made in unusual shape. It seems that they are spreading across the surface. In addition, the shape of the watch allows it to be placed in the most unexpected place- at the edge of the surface. This makes them even more realistic.

This decorative solution is a must-have for all art fans and connoisseurs of Dali’s works. Also the melting clock will become a great gift for a birthday or other memorable event.

The original design blends seamlessly with modern technologies. The quartz mechanism of a watch is the key to its durability. With this watch you will never be late for an important meeting.

A melting clock can be an addition to your bedroom or take pride of place in the office. Wherever you place them, they will certainly attract attention and delight others.

Peculiarities

• Perfectly balanced and held on the corner of any piece of furniture;
• Quartz movement;
• Created based on the work of Salvador Dali.

Characteristics

• Power: 1 AAA battery (not included);
• Clock dimensions: 18 x 13 cm;
• Material: PVC.

“The fact that I myself, directly at the moment of drawing my paintings, do not know anything about their meaning does not at all mean that these images are devoid of any meaning.” Salvador Dali

Salvador Dali “The Persistence of Memory” (“Soft Hours”, “The Hardness of Memory”, “The Persistence of Memory”, “The Persistence of Memory”)

Year of creation 1931 Oil on canvas, 24*33 cm The painting is in the Museum of Modern Art of the City of New York.

The work of the great Spaniard Salvador Dali, like his life, always arouses genuine interest. His paintings, which are largely incomprehensible, attract attention with their originality and extravagance. Some remain forever fascinated in search of “special meaning,” while others speak with undisguised disgust about the artist’s mental illness. But neither one nor the other can deny genius.

Now we are in the Museum of Modern Art of the City of New York in front of the painting by the great Dali “The Persistence of Memory”. Let's look at it.

The plot of the film unfolds against the backdrop of a deserted surreal landscape. In the distance we see the sea, bordered by golden mountains in the upper right corner of the picture. The viewer's main attention is drawn to the bluish pocket watch, which slowly melts in the sun. Some of them flow down a strange creature that lies on the lifeless ground in the center of the composition. In this creature one can recognize a shapeless human figure, melancholy with his eyes closed and his tongue hanging out. In the left corner of the picture on foreground a table is depicted. There are two more clocks on this table - one of them is dripping from the edge of the table, the other, an orange rusty color, has retained its original shape, and is covered with ants. On far edge On the table rises a dry, broken tree, from whose branches the last bluish hours are flowing.

Yes, Dali's paintings are an attack on the normal psyche. What is the history of the painting? The work was created in 1931. Legend has it that while waiting for Gala, the artist’s wife, to return home, Dali painted a picture of a deserted beach and rocks, and the image of softening time was born to him when he saw a piece of Camembert cheese. The color of the bluish clock was supposedly chosen by the artist like this. On the façade of the house in Port Ligat, where Dali lived, there is a broken sundial. They are still pale blue, although the paint is gradually fading - exactly the same color as in the painting "The Persistence of Memory".

The painting was first exhibited in Paris, at the Galerie Pierre Collet, in 1931, where it was purchased for $250. In 1933 the painting was sold to Stanley Resor, who donated the work to the Museum in 1934 Contemporary Art in New York.

Let's try to figure out, as far as possible, whether there is a certain hidden meaning. It is not known what looks like more confusion - the plots of the great Dali’s paintings themselves or attempts to interpret them. I suggest looking at how different people interpreted the painting.

The outstanding art historian Federico Zeri (F. Zeri) wrote in his research that Salvador Dali “in the language of allusions and symbols designated conscious and active memory in the form of a mechanical watch and ants scurrying around in them, and the unconscious - in the form of a soft clock that shows the indefinite time. "The Persistence of Memory" thus depicts the oscillations between the ups and downs of waking and sleeping states."

Edmund Swinglehurst (E. Swinglehurst) in the book “Salvador Dali. Exploring the irrational” also tries to analyze “The Persistence of Memory”: “Next to soft watch Dali depicted a solid pocket watch covered with ants, as a sign that time can move in different ways: either flow smoothly or be corroded by corruption, which, according to Dali, meant decay, symbolized here by the bustle of insatiable ants.” According to Swinglehurst, "The Persistence of Memory" became a symbol modern concept relativity of time. Another researcher of the genius’s work, Gilles Neret, in his book “Dali,” spoke very succinctly about “The Persistence of Memory”: “The famous “soft clock” is inspired by the image of Camembert cheese melting in the sun.”

However, it is known that almost every work of Salvador Dali has a pronounced sexual overtones. Famous writer 20th century George Orwell wrote that Salvador Dali “is equipped with such a complete and excellent set of perversions that anyone can envy him.” In this regard, interesting conclusions are made by our contemporary, an adherent of classical psychoanalysis, Igor Poperechny. Was it really only the “metaphor of time flexibility” that was put on display for everyone to see? It is full of uncertainty and lack of intrigue, which is extremely unusual for Dali.

In his work “The Mind Games of Salvador Dali,” Igor Poperechny came to the conclusion that the “set of perversions” that Orwell spoke of is present in all the works of the great Spaniard. During the analysis of the entire work of the Genius, certain groups of symbols were identified, which, when appropriately arranged in the picture, determine its semantic content. There are several such symbols in The Persistence of Memory. These are spreading watches and a face “flattened” with pleasure, ants and flies depicted on dials that show strictly 6 o’clock.

Analyzing each of the groups of symbols, their location in the paintings, taking into account the traditions of symbol meanings, the researcher came to the conclusion that the secret of Salvador Dali lies in the denial of the death of his mother and the incestuous desire for her.

Living in an illusion artificially created by himself, Salvador Dali lived for 68 years after the death of his mother in anticipation of a miracle - her appearance in this world. One of the main ideas of numerous paintings of the genius was the idea of ​​​​the mother being in a lethargic sleep. A hint at lethargic sleep ants became ubiquitous and were fed to people in this condition in ancient Moroccan medicine. According to Igor Poperechny, in many of Dali’s paintings he depicts his mother with symbols: in the form of domestic animals, birds, as well as mountains, rocks or stones. In the painting that we are now studying, at first you may not notice a small rock on which a shapeless creature is spreading, which is a kind of self-portrait of Dali...

The soft clock in the picture shows the same time - 6 o'clock. Judging by the bright colors of the landscape, it is morning, because in Catalonia, Dali’s homeland, night does not come at 6 o’clock. What worries a man at six in the morning? After what morning sensations did Dali wake up “completely broken,” as Dali himself mentioned in his book “The Diary of a Genius”? Why is there a fly sitting on the soft clock, in Dali’s symbolism - a sign of vice and spiritual decay?

Based on all this, the researcher comes to the conclusion that the painting records the time when Dali’s face experiences perverse pleasure, indulging in “moral decay.”

These are some points of view on the hidden meaning of Dali's painting. You just have to decide which interpretation you like best.

Salvador Dali's painting "The Persistence of Memory" is perhaps the most famous of the artist's works. The softness of a hanging and dripping clock is one of the most unusual images ever used in painting. What did Dali want to say by this? Did you even want to? We can only guess. We only have to acknowledge Dali’s victory, won with the words: “Surrealism is me!”

This concludes the tour. Please ask questions.

In 1931 he painted a picture "The Constancy of Time" , which is often abbreviated to simply "Clock". The painting has an unusual, strange, outlandish plot, like all the works of this artist, and is truly a masterpiece of the work of Salvador Dali. What meaning did the artist put into “The Constancy of Time” and what could all these melting clocks depicted in the picture mean?

The meaning of the painting “The Constancy of Time” by surrealist artist Salvador Dali is not easy to understand. The painting depicts four clocks positioned prominently against a desert landscape. Although it is a little strange, watches do not have the usual shapes that we are used to seeing them. Here they are not flat, but bend to the shape of the objects on which they lie. An association arises as if they are melting. It becomes clear that this is a painting made in the style of classical surrealism, which raises some questions in the viewer, such as, for example: “why are the clocks melting”, “why are there clocks in the desert” and “where are all the people”?

Paintings of the surreal genre, presenting themselves to the viewer in their best artistic presentation, have as their goal to convey to him the dreams of the artist. Taking a look at any picture of this genre, it may seem that its author is a schizophrenic who has combined in it the incompatible, where places, people, objects, landscapes intertwine with each other in combinations and combinations that defy logic. When pondering the meaning of the painting “The Constancy of Time,” the first thing that comes to mind is that Dali captured his dream on it.

If “The Constancy of Time” depicts a dream, then the melting clock, which has lost its shape, denotes the elusiveness of time spent in a dream. After all, when we wake up, we are not surprised that we went to bed in the evening, and it is already morning and we are not surprised that it is no longer evening. When we are awake, we feel the passage of time, and when we sleep, we attribute this time to another reality. There are many interpretations of the painting “The Persistence of Memory”. If we look at art through the prism of a dream, then distorted clocks have no power in the world of dreams, which is why they melt.

In the painting “The Constancy of Time,” the author wants to say how useless, meaningless and arbitrary our perception of time is in a state of sleep. While we are awake, we are constantly worried, nervous, in a hurry and fussing, trying to do as many things as possible. Many art historians argue about what kind of clock it is: wall or pocket, which were a very fashionable accessory in the 20s and 30s, the era of surrealism, the peak of their creativity. The surrealists ridiculed many things, objects belonging to the middle class, whose representatives attached too much importance to them and took them too seriously. In our case, this is a clock - a thing that simply shows what time it is.

Many art historians believe that Dali painted this painting on the topic of Albert Einstein's theory of probability, which was hotly and excitedly discussed in the thirties. Einstein put forward a theory that shook the belief that time is an unchangeable quantity. With this melting clock, Dali shows us that clocks, both wall and pocket, have become primitive, obsolete and lacking of great importance now an attribute.

In any case, the painting “The Constancy of Time” is one of famous works the art of Salvador Dali, who, in truth, became an icon of surrealism of the twentieth century. We guess, interpret, analyze, imagine what meaning the author himself could have put into this picture? Each simple viewer or professional art critic has his own perception of this painting. There are so many assumptions. True meaning The painting “The Constancy of Time” is no longer recognizable to us. Dali said that his paintings carry various semantic themes: social, artistic, historical and autobiographical. It can be assumed that "The Constancy of Time" is a combination of these.

Surrealist artist, Spaniard Salvador Dali became one of the most mysterious painters of the twentieth century. Known for its outlandish and controversial subject matter, his painting "The Persistence of Memory" (1931), is recognized as the greatest masterpiece of surrealism. But what essence did the genius veil on this canvas? The picture has many interpretations and they are completely different.

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The meaning behind the brushstrokes is not easy to grasp. The painting depicts four clocks and a desert landscape in the background. The guardians of time, despite everything, emerge from their usual form, which looks a little ominous. And, apparently, they intend to melt “to the end.” The “cute” plot makes you think. Why do the hours spread? Why are they in the desert and where are the people lost? The meaning of this picture seems inadequate and illogical, but the almost photographic execution hints to us otherwise.

Perhaps Dali depicted the dream state so often discussed by the surrealists. After all, only in a dream, unrelated people, places and objects are able to gather into a single whole, because only in a dream, seconds and minutes become devalued. If so, then the deformed clock symbolizes the uncertainty of the passage of time at night. During the day we are able to track and control time, but when we sleep, it plays by different rules. If you look at it from this angle, it looks plausible. In a dream, the clock is powerless, we do not feel time, which means that the clock can only melt away from its own uselessness.

Some art historians believe that the deformed clock may symbolize Einstein's theory of relativity, which was new and revolutionary in the 30s. With her help, Einstein proposed new idea about time as a more complex category, not subject to calculation on a dial. Through this lens, it begins to seem that the distorted clocks symbolize the incompetence of their pocket and wall-mounted counterparts in a post-Einstein world.

Jokes, humor, sarcasm and play on words were an integral part of the surrealists' work. It is possible that this same sarcasm touched “The Persistence of Memory.” After all, spreading hours can mean anything, but not constancy. Ants eating the dial of a red clock perhaps represent the human habit of wasting time thoughtlessly and haphazardly.

A devastated, barren landscape... Many art experts believe that Dali depicted the coastline of the beach in his hometown. The intended, autobiographical meaning refers to memories from Salvador's childhood memory. An uninhabited, abandoned coast, dead since Dali left it. With the distorted clock, Dali probably hinted that his childhood was a thing of the past.

"The Persistence of Memory"- a true icon of twentieth-century surrealism. Its true meaning remains a mystery to us to this day, and this is unlikely to change. It is believed that here Dali collected a whole amalgam of ideas and shades of a historical, autobiographical, artistic and political nature.

Salvador Dali can rightfully be called the greatest surrealist. Streams of consciousness, dreams and reality were reflected in all his works. “The Persistence of Memory” is one of the smallest (24x33 cm), but most discussed paintings. This canvas stands out deep subtext and many encrypted characters. It is also the artist’s most copied work.

Salvador Dali himself said that he created the dials in the painting in two hours. His wife Gala went to the cinema with friends, and the artist stayed at home, citing a headache. Alone, he looked around the room. Then Dali’s attention was attracted by the camembert cheese that he and Gala had recently eaten. It slowly melted in the sun.

Suddenly an idea occurred to the master, and he went to his workshop, where the landscape of the outskirts of Port Ligat was already painted on canvas. Salvador Dali spread his palette and began to create. By the time my wife arrived home, the painting was ready.

There are many allusions and metaphors hidden on the small canvas. Art historians are happy to decipher all the mysteries of “The Persistence of Memory.”

The three clocks represent the present, past and future. Their “melting” form is a symbol of subjective time, unevenly filling space. Another clock with ants swarming on it - this is linear time, which consumes itself. Salvador Dali admitted more than once that as a child he was deeply impressed by the sight of ants swarming on a dead woman. bat.

A certain spread object with eyelashes is a self-portrait of Dali. deserted shore The artist associated it with loneliness, and the dried tree with ancient wisdom. On the left in the picture you can see the mirror surface. It can reflect both reality and the world of dreams.

After 20 years, Dali’s view of the world changed. He created a painting called “Disintegration of the Persistence of Memory.” In concept it had something in common with “The Persistence of Memory”, however new era technical progress left its mark on the author’s worldview. The dials gradually disintegrate, and the space is divided into ordered blocks and flooded with water.