Salvador Dalí (after) – “Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Awakening”, 1944

Salvador Dalí (after) – Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Awakening – Art print from 2004

This art print, based on Salvador Dalí’s famous 1944 painting ‘Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Awakening’, depicts one of the Spanish Surrealist’s most fascinating works. The dreamlike composition combines fantastical imagery, meticulously rendered details and extraordinary symbolism. The motif is one of the best-known examples of Dalí’s artistic exploration of dreams, the subconscious and human perception.

The original painting was created in 1944 and is titled in German ‘Traum, verursacht durch den Flug einer Biene um einen Granatapfel, eine Sekunde vor dem Erwachen’. At the centre is a sleeping woman who appears to be floating above a rocky landscape. A pomegranate gives rise to a fantastical sequence of motifs: a fish, two leaping tigers and a rifle with a bayonet form a dramatic sequence of images symbolising the moment immediately before waking.

This extraordinary depiction illustrates Dalí’s interest in the world of dreams and the theories of Sigmund Freud. A seemingly insignificant external stimulus – the flight of a bee – is transformed in the dream into a complex and menacing sequence of images. The combination of realistic painting techniques and irrational motifs lends the composition its unmistakable surrealist effect.

This art print was published in 2004 by the art book publisher TASCHEN and, according to the information provided, authorised by the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí. It was printed on high-quality paper that faithfully reproduces the detailed depiction and characteristic colour scheme of the original work. The reverse side features copyright details, the title of the work and a description of the motif.

Measuring 36.5 × 28.5 cm, the print is a handy size, making it particularly suitable for individual framing. The richly detailed composition makes a striking impression even in this format, making the art print an interesting decorative and collector’s item for lovers of Surrealism.

The sheet is in excellent condition and, according to the available information, has never been framed. It has been stored away from light between acid-free protective paper. The combination of an iconic Dalí motif, publication by TASCHEN and documented authorisation makes this art print an attractive example of the reception of Surrealist art in the 21st century.

Product details

• Artist of the original work: Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)
• Artist credit: After Salvador Dalí
• Original title: Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate a Second before Awakening
• German title: Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee around a Pomegranate, a Second before Awakening
• Year of creation of the original work: 1944
• Product type: Art print / Art reproduction
• Publisher: TASCHEN
• Year of publication: 2004
• Authorisation: According to the information available, by the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí
• Technique: High-quality art print
• Material: Paper
• Country of origin: Germany, according to the information provided
• Style: Surrealism
• Motif: Dreamscape featuring a sleeping woman, a pomegranate, a fish, tigers and a rifle
• Dimensions (H × W × D): Approx. 36.5 × 28.5 cm, paper thickness not specified
• Reverse: Copyright notice, title of the work and description
• Signature: No hand-signed signature indicated
• Framing: Unframed
• Condition: A– – excellent to very good, with minimal imperfections at most
• Contents: One unframed art print
• Special features: 2004 TASCHEN edition, work details on the reverse and famous surrealist motif

About Salvador Dalí

Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) was a Spanish painter, graphic artist and one of the best-known exponents of Surrealism. Born in Figueres, Catalonia, he developed an extraordinary artistic visual language characterised by precise painting techniques, fantastical motifs and an intense preoccupation with dreams and the subconscious. His works are now among the best-known paintings in modern art.

In the late 1920s, Dalí joined the Surrealist movement and developed his so-called paranoiac-critical method. Through this, he sought to translate irrational thoughts, dream images and unconscious associations into artistic representations. Among his most famous works are ‘The Persistence of Memory’ from 1931 and the painting from 1944 reproduced here.

Dalí’s art is characterised by a fascinating interplay of photographic precision and surreal imagination. His paintings combine everyday objects with unusual perspectives and symbolic meanings. ‘The Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate’ is regarded as a particularly striking example of this visual language and is one of the iKON works of Surrealism.