In this artwork, how is the Wagner's Antisemitism and Dalí's Complicated Relationship with Judaism of the Dalí, Wagner, and Judaism elucidated?
Even prior to Hitler's rise to power, Wagner was a well-known racist and antisemite. As German author Jens Malte Fischer once quipped, "If you didn't know in the 1870s and 1880s that Wagner was a staunch anti-Semite, then you must have been pretty much deaf and blind."Dalí's perennial obsession with Wagner – in addition to explicit Hitlerian iconography in some of his later works, such as in The Enigma of Hitler – led many to believe that Dalí himself harbored antisemitic views or had fascist sympathies. In addition to his love of Wagner and several fascist allusions in his paintings, Dalí publicly revealed several of his mystical, homoerotic fever dreams about Hitler: just before World War II, Dalí mused that “I often dreamed of Hitler as a woman” and later in his autobiography confessed that "Hitler turned me on in the highest." Dalí's fellow Surrealists, a group composed almost entirely of politically active Communists and anti-fascists, were not amused with these antics. Finally, one of their prominent members, Andre Breton, accused Dali of glorifying Hitler, and promptly expelled him from the group.This explicit fascist iconography and bizarre dalliance with Hitler, however, seemingly juxtaposes Dalí's relationship with Judaism in his later years. Dalí produced a surprising, yet remarkable corpus of Jewish works that differs widely from his other work. In 1968, Dalí produced a series of 25 lithographs entitled Aliyah, the Rebirth of Israel to celebrate the 20th anniversary of Israel's independence – Aliyah is a Hebrew word that literally means "migration to the land of Israel."
David R. Blumenthal, Professor of Judaic Studies at Emory University, described the paintings in the following way: In spite of his having no inner connection with Zionism, Israel, and Judaism, Dali captured the spirit of the rebirth of the Jewish people in its homeland with remarkable focus (and, of course, remarkable skill). Thus, he captures the dryness of the land before the creation of the National Water Carrier and the richness of the land after its inauguration. Thus, too, he captures the victory and also the heavy price that was paid to give re-birth to the Jewish people in its homeland. He also has strong echoes of the Holocaust and Jewish religious symbols in this set of paintings and lithographs.It is widely circulated that Dalí's mother's family, the Domènech of Barcelona, had Jewish roots, but scholars agree this is not true. However, despite Dalí's lack of a personal connection to Judaism, it is clear that his work succeeded in capturing a 'Jewish essence' that resonated strongly with his new audience.
Dalí would go on to produce many more Jewish works. In 1971, Dalí created Song of Songs of Solomon, a portfolio of 12 drypoint etchings plus color and gold dust. That same year, Dalí produced another series of 13 vibrant etchings with color stencil in his work The Twelve Tribes of Israel – then again in 1975 with Moses and Monotheism.Dalí's true views regarding Judaism and antisemitism remain the subject of the debate. Some believe that Dalí's later work represents a transformative supernova in his relationship with "the Jew" and Judaism, revealing, in a way, a spiritual connection or at the very least a profound empathy for the Jewish people. Conversely, some maintain his Jewish paintings represent a deceitful attempt to tap into a new, wealthy market for his artwork – constituting an elaborate ploy to exploit the Jews for commercial benefit.Nonetheless, these artworks, and particularly A Chemist Lifting with Extreme Precaution the Cuticle of a Grand Piano, represent, perhaps, that early conflict between Dalí's unconscious fascist sympathies, manifested in his deification of Wagner, and his profound Jewish empathy, exemplified by his later work and the abiding pluralism of the eccentric and bizarre surrealist.
Antisemitism anti-fascists Judaism Communist Israel Hitler's rise to power Andre Breton Emory University antisemite The Enigma of Hitler other work