Christ of Saint John of the Cross

Surrealism sought to revolutionize human experience by combining reality with the unexpected and bizarre, giving power to the unconscious mind, and completely disregarding conventional expectations. It featured things like dream-like imagery, visual puns, distorted figures and biomorphic shapes. 

Salvatore Dali’s Christ of Saint John of the Cross came out of a dream where he saw Christ’s crucifixion from God’s perspective. There are no wounds, thorns or agony present. The scene at the bottom of the image featuring a moored boat and still water adds to this image’s feeling of tranquility and peace. As God watches the crucifixion unfold, there is a sense of silence and wonder of God’s salvific handiwork being manifested.

This Surrealist painting is housed in the Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow, Scotland