DALI MUSEUM, FIGUERES, SPAIN April 26, 2014

It's been many, many years since my first visit to the Dali Museum in St. Petersburg, Florida, but in those years I've become intrigued by his art.  So, being in Spain meant we had to stop to see the museum he chose and designed to hold his own personal collection in Figueres, Spain about two hours north of Barcelona. The Dalí Theater-Museum is the largest surrealistic object in the world.  It stands on  the building of the former Municipal Theater, a 19th century construction which was destroyed at the end of the Spanish Civil War.  Dalí decided to create his museum on its ruins.  The museum contains works from his earliest experiences to the works of the last years of his life.  He spent well over a decade designing and overseeing it's development until it opened in 1974. 

It was fun to walk into town the evening before to find it's location and enjoy dinner at an outdoor cafe. 

 The geodesic dome above the building has become the emblem of the museum and the city of Figueres as well.  As we entered the main courtyard we saw the Dali's car with surrounding sculptures.

The museum was so very crowded the morning we were there even though we arrived at opening time.  There are stairwells to many different levels, a labyrinth as he wanted it to be. Stepping down beneath the museum's main level is the tombstone where he is buried.

In addition to his surrealist paintings, there are sculptures, 3 dimensional collages, mechanical devices and other bits of his incredible imagination. A most unusual work is the living room installation with furniture, The Mae West Room,  that when viewed from a platform above actually looks like the face of Mae West.

Looking back at the museum on the outside we could easily find the egg sculptures that sit atop the roof, which are common in Dali's work symbolizing hope and love.

Also included with our museum entrance is a separate exhibit of the jewelry he created.  I loved this gallery showing the collection of jewels in gold and precious stones the Dali made between 1941 and 1970. They were stunning!

As we left the museum we wandered around the exterior to see the other Dali pieces displayed within the architecture.

Though I would have loved to continue on to his House-Museum in Portlligat, the residence where he normally lived and worked until 1982, but our day was slipping by and we needed to return to Barcelona. We'll have to plan to do that visit next times we return.