XIII.
Jesus Dies on the Cross

Christ of Saint John of the Cross, 1951
Salvador Dali, Spanish (1904-1989)
Oil on canvas
Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum, Glasgow

Salvador Dali was a Spanish surrealist painter, sculptor, photographer, and filmmaker.  Widely considered to be greatly imaginative, his work The Persistence of Memory (1931) is one of his most famous.  Dali’s post-World War II period showed an interest in optical illusions, science, and religion.  It was in 1951 that he painted Christ of Saint John of the Cross, known as such because its design is based on a drawing by the 16^th century Spanish friar named “Saint John of the Cross.”  Although it is a depiction of the crucifixion, it is devoid of nails, blood, and a crown of thorns, because, according to Dali, he was convinced by a dream that those features would mar his depiction of Christ.  In another dream, the extreme angle evident in the painting was revealed to him.