Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus)

Salvador Dalí

1954 · Oil on canvas · Modern and Contemporary Art

Dalí utilized his theory of "nuclear mysticism," a fusion of Catholicism, mathematics, and science, to create this unusual interpretation of Christ’s crucifixion. Levitating before a hypercube—a geometric, multidimensional form—Christ’s body is healthy, athletic, and bears no signs of torture; the crown of thorns and nails are missing. The artist’s wife, Gala, poses as a devotional figure, witnessing Christ’s spiritual triumph over corporeal harm. Several dreamlike elements from Dali’s earlier Surrealist work feature in this painting: a levitating figure, vast barren landscape, and chessboard.

Artist

Salvador Dalí

Date

1954

Medium

Oil on canvas

Department

Modern and Contemporary Art

Credit line

Gift of The Chester Dale Collection, 1955