Salvador Dalí (1904-1989) (after) - "Rêve Causé Par Le Vol D'une Abeille, 1944"

- Salvador Dalí (after), "Dream caused by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate, one second before awakening, 1944". Offset lithograph on heavyweight smooth satin paper (approx. 300gsm, refers to paper thickness/density).

- Copyright Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí by SIAE.

- Size: 40 x 50cm.

- Ready to frame. The pic in which the item appears framed is a simulated recreation for illustrative purposes only, the frame and other decorative elements shown in it are not included in the lot you are bidding on.

- Stamp on verso.

- Condition: very good. Never framed, never exposed.

- More lots currently at auction: https://www.catawiki.com/es/u/7684787-yuke

- Dream caused by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate, one second before awakening (c. 1944) by Salvador Dalí is one of the most extraordinary and recognisable images of Surrealism, combining dream, desire, danger and symbolic imagination in a single unforgettable composition. The work shows Gala floating above a rocky platform in a luminous seascape, while a pomegranate, a bee, a fish, two tigers, a bayonet and a long-legged elephant create one of Dalí’s most theatrical dream visions.

The work reflects Dalí’s fascination with Freud, the unconscious and the strange logic of dreams. A tiny real event the flight of a bee around a pomegranate becomes transformed into a dramatic sequence of images inside the sleeping mind: the fish emerges from the fruit, the tigers leap forward, and the bayonet becomes the threatening sting that will awaken Gala one second later. This precise connection between external sensation and dream narrative makes the work one of Dalí’s most brilliant explorations of Surrealist psychology.

The appeal of this image lies in its extraordinary visual contrast: the calm Mediterranean horizon, the floating body, the violent energy of the tigers, the delicate bee, the symbolic pomegranate and the distant elephant with impossibly long legs. It brings together many of Dalí’s most iconic motifs and places the work in close dialogue with René Magritte, Max Ernst, Giorgio de Chirico, Joan Miró, Pablo Picasso, Man Ray and Yves Tanguy, artists who also transformed dream imagery, fantasy and the subconscious into modern visual language.

This composition is especially attractive for admirers of Salvador Dalí prints, Surrealist art, dream imagery, symbolic painting, Spanish modernism, museum-inspired interiors and highly decorative statement wall art. Its mixture of sensuality, danger, precision and fantasy gives it a powerful presence, making it one of those images that immediately attracts attention in both classic and contemporary interiors.

Dalí’s influence extends far beyond Surrealism. His ability to create unforgettable images, theatrical symbols and instantly recognisable visual worlds can be appreciated alongside later figures such as Andy Warhol, Keith Haring, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Banksy, Jeff Koons, Takashi Murakami and Shepard Fairey, all of whom understood the power of iconic imagery and cultural impact. Within today’s collecting world where fine art, vintage design, luxury names such as Rolex, Patek Philippe and Cartier, and iconic popular references such as Lego, Star Wars or Pokémon can coexist in carefully curated interiors Dalí’s imagery retains a unique prestige: intellectual, provocative, decorative and unmistakably surreal.

A striking image, Dream caused by the flight of a bee around a pomegranate, one second before awakening captures the essence of Salvador Dalí’s genius: dream transformed into image, symbolism turned into theatre, and the unconscious rendered with dazzling precision.