DALI JEWELS

Salvador Dali didn't allow himself to be contained by paint and canvas...he viewed gem stones and precious metals as just another artistic medium.  Adjacent to his spectacular Theatre-Museum is the gallery of jewels he created between 1941 and 1970.  Upon entry into the gallery one is plunged into pitch blackness with the only lights illuminating the jewels.  To me the most fascinating parts were his design drawings.

Design Drawings

Eye of Time Drawing

Eye of Time Jewel

Pomegranate Heart

Design drawing

Realization

The workmanship, as well as the creativity and use of materials was spectacular.  In this one the base of lapis slowly evolves into gold vines

as the butterlies slowly flap their jeweled wings.

Chalice of Life

In other ones there is an optical illusion

Design drawing Tree of Life

Tree of Life with woman's face

We also saw a ruby-encrusted heart which was beating

Royal Heart 1953

and this piece with a door which slowly opened to reveal a face

After the Theatre-Museum I was prepared to be underwhelmed but this exhibit did not disappoint!

Audrey

A TRIP TO THE SUBCONSCIOUS

Wow, wow, wow!  I am still reeling after the sensory overload of the Dali Theatre-Museum, Salvador Dali's all encompassing masterwork.

Torre Galatea where Dali spent the last years of his life

From the exterior you know you are in for something unique.

The museum was built from the burned shell of the 1850s theatre

The diving suit represents an immersion in the subconscious

I was prepared for the unusual but not for the incredible crowds of people.

Mounument to Catalan genius Pujols.

Still, the first glimpse into the immense courtyard took my breath away.

The Queen Esther on a Cadillac

Buckminster Fuller-ish dome by Pinero

Looking down at the "Rainy Taxi" installation

Gilded mannequins

After this amazing place one walks up marble ramps to the Cupola, which was the former theatre stage.  Another immense space filled with this huge painting.

Backdrop created for ballet Labyrinth, 1941

Here it is with people so you can see the scale

Also in this vast room is an incredible optical illusion entitled "Gala (Dali's wife and muse) Nude Looking at the Sea which at 18 Meters appears as President Lincoln."  See if you can see them both.

Outside the cupola there were sinuous hallways, niches, dark corners and odd mechanical items.  Here are just a few of the diverse things we saw.

Barcelona Mannequin

Many, if not most, items in the museum were purposely left unlabelled because Dali wanted the viewer to make up his or her own mind about what they were seeing instead of being told.

This is possibly the most inspiring museum I have ever been to.  Luckily we will be in Figueres another week so we will have the chance to go back.  In parting, here are some great photos from the "Dali's Mustache" portion of the museum.

Next, Part 2, the Dali Jewel exhibit.

Audrey

CATALAN TOY MUSEUM

We're now in the Spainish city of Figueres, birthplace of Salvadore Dali, about 1 hour north of Barcelons.   As you might expect, it's a town full of art and quirkiness.  Since it's rainy and cold we decided to visit the Toy Museum, or in Catalan, Museu del Joguet de Catalunya, just down the street from the main Dali museum.

We were unprepared for what an interesting and fun place this would be.  They boast over 17,000 antique toys, 5,000 which are on display.  The train room alone was amazing.  All trains in this room were running.

Oiler

Cog railway in Swiss Alps

Many others were on display.

And that was just trains.

Tin transportation toys, anyone?

The European version of Erector Sets

Amazing wind up toys

Musical 3 Little Pigs

One way is a tram, then it becomes a cog railway

Martian spaceship

Mickeys!

Unknown board games

Creepy dolls

Dogs and cats on wheels

And so much more!  Puppets, cards, magic shows, theaters, and on and on.  Most toys were played with by people from this region, such as Dali and his sister Maria, as well as writer Federico Garcia Lorca.  At the end of the exhibits is a play room for more hands on, and we got to watch some great early animations featuring a cartoon mole who gets into all sorts of situations but uses creative problem solving to get out of them.

We feel ready now to tackle the Dali museum tomorrow.

Audrey