Crucifixion.

[NNadir]

1954, Salvadore Dali, Spanish (1904-1989)

At the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York.

[flvegan]

1. Ain't no fiction. So called chosen, frozen

So called chosen frozen
Apology made to who ever pleases
Still they got me like Jesus
I rather sing, bring, think reminisce
'Bout a brother while I'm in sync
Every brother ain't a brother cause a color
Just as well could be undercover
Backstabbed, grabbed a flag
From the back of the lab
Told a Rab get off the rag
Sad to say I got sold down the river
Still some quiver when I deliver
Never to say I never know or had a clue
Word was heard, plus hard on the boulevard
Lies, scandalizin', basin'
Traits of hate who's celebratin' wit satan?
I rope a dope the evil with righteous
Bobbin' and weavin' and let the good get even
C'mon down

Heh, got my Public Enemy on.
And welcome to the Terrordome.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

2. My dear NNadir!

Ah, this is one I recognize. I think I might have seen it, a long time ago...

It's wonderful.

All the cubes mystify me. Do you know what they mean?

Thank you!

[TreasonousBastard]

4. Here's one...

http://www.dali-gallery.com/html/analyses/1954_02a.htm

When disembarking from the steamship America in Le Havre on March 27, 1953, on his return from New York, Dalí announced to the reporters gathered around him that he was going to paint a picture he himself termed as sensational: an exploding Christ, nuclear and hypercubic. He said that it would be the first picture painted with a classical technique and an academic formula but actually composed of cubic elements. To a reporter who asked him why he wanted to depict Christ exploding, he replied, "I don't know yet. First I have ideas, I explain them later. This picture will be the great metaphysical work of my summer."

<...>

"Metaphysical, transcendent cubism" is the way that Dalí defines his picture, of which he says: "It is based entirely on the Treatise on Cubic Form by Juan de Herrera, Philip II's architect, builder of the Escorial Palace; it is a treatise inspired by Ars Magna of the Catalonian philosopher and alchemist, Raymond Lulle. The cross is formed by an octahedral hypercube. The number nine is identifiable and becomes especially consubstantial with the body of Christ. The extremely noble figure of Gala is the perfect union of the development of the hypercubic octahedron on the human level of the cube. She is depicted in front of the Bay of Port Lligat. The most noble beings were painted by Velazquez and Zurbaran; I only approach nobility while painting Gala, and nobility can only be inspired by the human being."
Crucifixion is a stunning work that successfully combines elements of Dalí's Nuclear Mysticism with his return to his Catholic heritage during this time. In this work, Dalí is giving us a crucifixion in the age of modern science, completing his theme started in Christ of St. John of the Cross.
Of particular note is the stunning athleticism with which the crucified savior is represented. Even the nail holes in the palms and feet are not present, as Salvador shows us his perfect redemption. The cross itself, an eight sided octahedral cube, represents the possible theoretical reflection of a separate 4-dimensional world. Dalí's fascination with mathematics is incorporated with his return to his Catholic faith in later life. This union represents Dalí's assertion that the two seemingly diametrically opposed worlds of faith and science CAN coexist.

Here's another with a slightly different take on the same general idea:

http://kennywordsmith.hubpages.com/hub/Dali-Crucifixion---My-Take

<...>
The cube motif is everywhere. Gala stands on one, the floor has black and white squares, and the four cubic nails form a square. Does the hypercube symbolise space-time? Does Dali mean that Christ is the Lord for all eternity, not bound by the limitations of time? He rose on the third day, didn't He? That message is rendered as a visual oxymoron. The world was given a Christ and they crucified Him. But did he stay transfixed? Only in images and sculptures. On the third day, He chose to transcend space time and rose.

Here, Dali shows Him fixed to the cross, but not fixed. He levitates, and projects Himself. Rising above His mortal avatar, His suffering, the earth's gravity, hate, war, death, passions...everything. Get it? The buoyancy of Absolute Love versus the gravity of hate.

I haven't been to the Met in years, but I remember seeing this thing on its own wall. It's over 7 feet tall with the frame and when you walk into that gallery it just overwhelms you. Almost a mystical experience with that huge painting hanging over you.

On edit:

Note that Gala is Dali's wife. Why he includes her in his paintings? Your guess is as good as mine.

[CaliforniaPeggy]

7. Thanks for those explanations!

It is a truly fascinating painting.

[nolabear]

3. I truly love this. Powerful.

[HappyMe]

5. Beautiful.

I love Dali.

Now that it's going to get colder, we will plan a bus trip to NYC and I can see this in person.

[NNadir]

8. I saw it this summer.

I went to the Met with my family, and my son - an aspiring artist - saw it first.

We were all very excited and rushed down to see it.

I was also thrilled to see that the Met now has Dali's Madonna. When last I saw it, it was on loan from a private collection at a retrospective: It may have been at the Modern, I can't remember. I expected to never see it again and I was thrilled to learn that it is now in a public museum.

I'm not sure my boys totally understood why I was so excited, but like I said, I never thought I'd see it again, and the memory of that painting - sort of like my memory of Picasso's Guernica - was always with me.

Enjoy your visit. The Met is a wonderful place.

[NNadir]

9. I saw it this summer.

I went to the Met with my family, and my son - an aspiring artist - saw it first.

We were all very excited and rushed down to see it.

I was also thrilled to see that the Met now has Dali's Madonna. When last I saw it, it was on loan from a private collection at a retrospective: It may have been at the Modern, I can't remember. I expected to never see it again and I was thrilled to learn that it is now in a public museum.

I'm not sure my boys totally understood why I was so excited, but like I said, I never thought I'd see it again, and the memory of that painting - sort of like my memory of Picasso's Guernica - was always with me.

Enjoy your visit. The Met is a wonderful place.

[deutsey]

6. I always loved his Sacrament of the Last Supper

At the National Gallery of Art in DC.

I don't know if it's as evident here, but when you see the actual painting a dove appears or disappears on the left hand of Jesus depending on how you look at it.