Ballerina in a Death's Head by Salvador Dali

"Ballerina in a Death's Head"

By: Salvador Dali

Oil on canvas

1939

Subjective critique:

          When I first saw this piece, along with most Dali works, I felt a little uncomfortable. It's a very macabre piece and although I don't mind that, I just don't think it was put together very well.  The skull is too narrow and the eyes too close together. The only thing that led me to believe it was a skull were the teeth. Beneath the teeth looks like a strange mass of bone that didn't make sense to me. They are neither legs nor the base of a skull and to me it feels out of place. I assume the two pieces that curve outward from the skull are the jaw mandibles because that is the only thing that makes sense but even then, they're inaccurately placed. I also dislike the ballerina's arms, the placement does not make sense and is not visually interesting. 

          If I could change this piece I would start with giving the ballerina legs and proper arms. Those are both the main features of a dancer and what show grace and beauty so she is incomplete without them. I think it would make the piece more interesting to have the ballerina stand alone and replace her head with the skull. I'd make the skull features more accurate as well. I think the ballerina should be posed sous-sus en pointe with the arms in 5th position. This is a classic "ballerina pose" and would immediately convey the subject matter. 

Objective critique:

           Ballerina in a Death's Head is a surrealistic painting. It uses a monochromatic color scheme with the skull and ballerina both being the same pale yellow, all on a black background with other black elements. The only other color is the red flower on the ballerina's headpiece, which gives contrast against the yellow. The lines and forms are all organic, there are no harsh edges or geometric shapes. The skull takes up the majority of the image and extends from the very top of the piece to seemingly going beyond the bottom. The ballerina is positioned in front of the skull but she also appears to be fused with it, giving the illusion of one cohesive object. The dancer's platter tutu are shaped like teeth, as if it were the mouth of the skull. Her arms are bent up above her head, making the negative space in between them seem like eye sockets. The two large cracks on her chest are in the shape of the nose of a skull. The viewer's eye is drawn to the bright red flower on the ballerina's head and then moving down the lines on her body which all lead to the tutu, giving a feeling of movement.