The Endless Enigma, Salvador Dali 1938               

             

        Historically, during the time when Dali draw "The Endless Enigma", there was an intense time before a World War II. In 1937 Dali was interested in the movement, which main aspiration was an idea of a person not understanding the content of the picture. In 1937 Dali visited Italy. In Italy, he became interested in Classicism. Then in 1939 he moved to U.S.A. Between 1939 and 1941, Dali changed his style from Surrealism to Classicism. His new style was based on religion thoughts, science and history(Dali's life).

                Figures in Salvador Dali's "The Endless Enigma" painting have no real or concrete form; every object flows into another object making the overall painting subject to interpretation. Perhaps Dali is trying to show that what you see may not be what another person sees; also, this painting evokes a sense of confusion because the viewer really cannot decide what objects exist in the painting. For example, the head in the centre of the painting transforms into another object; the nose and mouse transform into a vase; the eyes become small boats. Dali demonstrates the concept of the illusion of reality by showing that transformations of objects are infinite. Because it is impossible to recognize, what shape objects have in this picture, a viewer cannot understand what is real and what fantasy is. This mystifying experience creates a feeling of unexplained riddle. 

                     Today, people are tired from routine life and monotonous news. Dali's painting is a small bright spark in peoples' being. One of the reasons why people watch movies, read books, and draw pictures is to escape from boring reality. Illusion is an entertainment. The combination of reality and illusion is a way out of cruel truth. Dali tried to show that there is now a line between reality and illusion. Illusion is life, without it (illusion) life would be boring.