Salvador Dalí paintings: hand-painted studies on canvas
Here you can order Salvador Dalí paintings as hand-painted studies on canvas, including The Persistence of Memory, The Elephants and Swans Reflecting Elephants. A study is a copy painted with a brush by a painter, in oil or acrylic depending on the work: you recognise the painting at once, but in its details and brushwork it differs slightly from the original. Every painting is made to order; stretching and framing are done in our workshop in Slovenia. You choose whether it arrives rolled, stretched on a frame or framed, and before dispatch we send you a photo of the finished painting.
“Have no fear of perfection – you’ll never reach it.”
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí Domènech, better known as Salvador Dali, was a Spanish (Catalan) artist and one of the most important painters of the 20th century. He was a trained draftsman, best known for his striking, bizarre and wonderful paintings and other works of art of a surrealist orientation. His painting skills are often attributed to the influence of the Renaissance masters.
His most famous work, The Persistence of Memory, was completed in 1931. Salvador‘s artistic oeuvre includes also film, sculpture and photography. He sometimes collaborated with other artists, writing fiction, poetry, essays and criticism. The main themes of his work are dreams, the subconscious, sexuality, religion, science and the closest to him – personal relationships. To the dismay of those who appreciated his work and the outrage of critics, his eccentric public behavior often attracted more attention than the artworks themselves. Public support for the Francoist regime, his commercial activities and the quality of his late works were also controversial. The life and work of Salvador Dalí had a significant influence on other surrealists, pop art and contemporary artists such as Jeff Koons and Damien Hirst.
Salvador Dali died on January 23, 1989 in Figueres from cardiac arrest.
Dalí paintings you can order as a study
Melting clocks and dreams. The Persistence of Memory (1931) is the painting with the soft pocket watches; in 80 × 60 cm it is in stock. Soft Watch at the Moment of First Explosion (1954) shows such a watch bursting apart, Sleep a huge sleeping head held up by crutches, and One Second Before Awakening from a Dream Caused by the Flight of a Bee Around a Pomegranate (1944) the sleeping Gala above the sea, a moment before tigers leap at her.
Elephants on long legs. The Elephants (1948), Swans Reflecting Elephants (1937) and The Temptation of St. Anthony (1946) show Dalí’s elephants on thin, endless legs or reflected in a lake. The Burning Giraffe (1937) and Soft Construction with Boiled Beans (Premonition of Civil War) (1936) are the dark paintings from the time of the Spanish Civil War.
Gala and faith. Galatea of the Spheres (1952) builds the face of his wife Gala from floating spheres. Madonna of Port Lligat (1949) and Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus, 1954) are his large religious paintings, and Christ shows the crucified Christ seen from above, floating over a calm bay.
The sea at Cadaqués. The Ship shows a sailing ship growing out of a human figure in the surf; Person at the Window and Muchacha de Espalda, both from 1925, show a young woman from behind, looking at the sea and the houses of Cadaqués. All 29 Dalí studies are in the list on this page.
What size to choose
Each Dalí study comes in 6 to 8 sizes, from small formats to more than 2 metres; the exact sizes are on each painting’s page. Many of Dalí’s paintings are small: The Persistence of Memory measures only 24 × 33 cm, so its 33 × 24 cm size is the size of the original, while at 80 × 60 cm or more it becomes the centre of the room. Above a sofa or bed, choose a painting about two thirds as wide as the furniture below it. Prices start at 130 €. If no size fits, we paint the painting to measure: see custom paintings. On request we also prepare a free preview of the painting in your room.
Frequently asked questions
What is a study of a Salvador Dalí painting?
A copy painted by hand by a painter, not a print. Dalí’s meticulous painting, with tiny details and smooth surfaces, cannot be repeated stroke for stroke. That is why we call it a study: the finished painting is clearly recognisable, but not identical to the original in every detail.
Is the painting done in oil?
It depends on the work: some paintings we paint in oil, others in acrylic. Either way it is real paint, applied to the canvas by hand.
How is the painting shipped?
Rolled in a tube, stretched on a frame (2.5 cm bars) or framed: you choose when you order. Stretching and framing are done in our workshop in Slovenia.
Do I see the painting before it ships?
Yes. When the painting is finished we send you a photo, and we ship it once you confirm.
How much does a Dalí study cost?
From 130 €. The price depends on the painting and the size you choose; each painting’s page shows the price for every size.
How long does delivery take?
The Persistence of Memory in 80 × 60 cm is in stock and leaves within 6 working days. Every other Dalí study is painted to order and arrives in 15 to 45 working days.