FIGUERES.- Antoni Pitxot, director of the Teatro-Museo Dalí in Figueres and Montse Aguer, director of the Centro de Estudios Dalinianos, have presented today o the media the 17th nightly opening of the museum in Figueres. During the act, they have also presented two works of art which can be viewed all summer and which belong to a private collector. The poster to promote the night visits designed by Bis Dixit was also presented.

Montse Aguer has contextualizad this act with the politics of the Fundación Dalí of showing never before seen or rarely seen paintings made by the master. In this sense, she has said, “we have the pleasure of showing, within the frane of the 17th nightly visits to the Teatro-Museo Dalí in Figueres, the drawing Músicos, c. 1921 and La merienda « sur l’herbe », –the carboard is fruit of the artista using again the support which was proper of this time, on the reverse side we can see Carro estirado por un asno y campesino- both belonging to a private Collection and loaned for a brief time to the Fundación Gala-Salvador Dalí. Starting today, Musicos will be on view at the Sala de las Pescaderías together with a work of art with the same title from the archives of the Fundación Dalí”.

The first paintings the artist made during his formative years are fruit of a mix of influences: the paintings made by Ramon Pichot, which put him in contact with the impressionist school; the drawing lessons with Juan Núñez and the direct contact with the nature of his homeland. The most recurrent themes during this period are his family, the landscape and himself. But, he allows himself to paint other themes such as slice of life scenes, including markets, circus, house interior or themes inspired by the painters he admired at that time such as Édouard Manet. In his journal, Salvador Dalí expresses his devotion in the following way:

“Each time I am more conscious of the difficult that art is; but, each time, I enjoy it more and like it even more. I continue to admire the great French impressionists like Manet, Degas, Renoir. Let them firmly orient my way.”

Édouard Manet presented at the Salon des Réfusés in París during 1863 the work Le Déjeuner sur l’herbe which created controversy because of the theme and the composition. Approximately 60 years later, Dali participated in the exhibition-contest organized by the Associació Catalana d’Estudiants which was celebrated at the Galeries Dalmau in Barcelona from January 16 to 31 of 1922 with a total of 8 works of art, one of which, Lumber 25, was titled La merienda “sur l’herbe”. At some moment in 1921 he chose that precise work of art made by Manet to make at least two versions (one belonging to the Collection of the Foundation, the other to a private collector). One of these could be the one shown at the Galeries Dalmau.

In a letter to his uncle, Anselm Domènech, we can read: “I have almost completely changed the technique and the spectrum, these are much brighter than before, having completely deserted from the dark blues and reds which contrasted (without harmony) with the clarity and luminosity of the others. I continue not being preoccupied with the drawings, which I do not use. The color and feeling is where I am focusing my efforts.”