The sculpture “Alice in Wonderland” is the rendition in bronze of one of the sweetest recurring images in Salvador Dali repertoire.
Salvador Dalí’s “Alice in Wonderland” explores metamorphosis, double images, and the interplay of youth and age, drawing inspiration from literary and artistic sources.
The Essence of Transformation:
Maurice Blanchot’s assertion that “Metamorphosis is presented to us as a unique way for man to widen his horizons, like a liberation of humanity” resonates strongly with Dalí’s artistic philosophy. Dalí viewed metamorphosis as a cornerstone of his aesthetic, allowing for the continuous evolution of images and the creation of new meanings. This concept is central to his “Alice in Wonderland” sculpture.
Alice: A Symbol of Innocence and Eternal Youth:
Dalí’s fascination with Lewis Carroll’s “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland” stemmed from its fantastical narrative and eccentric characters. He saw Alice as the “eternal girl-child,” embodying naivety and innocence. The story, born from Reverend Charles Lutwidge Dodgson’s (Lewis Carroll) desire to entertain Alice Liddell and her sisters in 1865, provided fertile ground for Dalí’s surreal interpretations. Nearly a century later, in 1968, Random House commissioned Dalí to illustrate Carroll’s tale, resulting in 12 bizarre and evocative prints.
The Skipping Girl Motif:
The image of a girl with a skipping rope, a recurring motif in Dalí’s work, first appeared in his 1930s paintings like “Morphological Echo” and “Landscape with Girl Skipping Rope.” These works depict a female figure, possibly reminiscent of Carolineta Barnadas Ferres, Dalí’s great aunt’s daughter who tragically died in childhood. Carolineta, portrayed as an ethereal figure in white, became a symbol of eternal youth and vitality in Dalí’s art. While working on the images for “Alice in Wonderland”, Dalí restored the image of this girl and portrayed Alice in this act in all of the images. The skipping rope, while reminding the ingenuity and lightness of a girl lost in her playing, signifies perpetual motion, blurring the lines between reality and fantasy.
Double Images and Metamorphosis:
Dali masterfully employed the concepts of double images and metamorphosis in the sculpture “Alice in Wonderland.” Drawing inspiration from Giuseppe Arcimboldo’s “Four Seasons”, he introduced a flower and plant theme in his bronze sculpture, creating multiple layers of meaning. The “double image”, allows for the perception of a second image within the first. In this sculpture, Alice’s hands and face morph into blossoming roses, symbolizing feminine beauty. Furthermore, the lines on her face, when viewed closely, resemble age wrinkles, creating a juxtaposition of youth and old age, echoing his paintings like “Old age, adolescence, infancy.” With this closer look thus Alice becomes not just the image of youth, but a symbol of beauty and lightness throughout time, almost reminding us of the importance of the feeling of youth more than just the external appearance.
Salvador Dali explored the coexistence of opposites throughout his oeuvre. In the bronze “Alice in Wonderland,” youth and old age are interwoven. He expressed a lifelong fascination with old age, viewing it as a state of “noble prestige.” The crutch, a recurring symbol in Dalí’s work, represents both stability and the duality of death and resurrection. As for old and weakened people, it provides support for Alice, both physically and emotionally, while she navigates the transition from youth to old age.
Shadows and Metaphysical Influences:
In Salvador Dali works often Alice or the girl with the skipping rope is painted with a long and well detailed shadow, almost duplicating the silhouette and many times she is in the background, part of the wide landscape. She is an image reminiscent of Giorgio de Chirico’s metaphysical paintings, with open, panoramic scenes, anthropomorphic shapes and strong shadows, her projection emphasizes the passage of time and a connection to reality. Most of the other carachters in the prints for the book don´t cast any shadow.
De Chirico’s influence, particularly his use of wide landscapes, deep perspectives and enigmatic shadows, is evident in many of Salvador Dalí’s works and the various portrays of Alice make no exception.
The Third Dimension
In Salvador Dali´s bronze sculpture, the three-dimensional nature allows for a dynamic interplay of light and shadow, enhancing its communicative power. The verticality of the image, accentuated by the skipping rope and the long, thin self-balanced crutch, seem connecting Alice to heaven.
A Lasting Legacy:
“Alice in Wonderland” embodies Dalí’s artistic vision, blending surrealism with reality. The sculpture, filled with symbolic meaning and visual intrigue, continues to captivate audiences worldwide, solidifying Dalí’s legacy as a master of imagination and transformation.