Provenance
Probably sold by the artist to Edward James, West Dean Estate, Chichester, England, between 1937 and 1938 [a fax of June 20, 1995, from Sharon-Michi Kusunoki of the Edward James Foundation to Adam Jolles verified that James did not purchase this drawing from Levy's 1939 exhibition. This implies that the drawing was one of the works James purchased under contract from the artist between June 1, 1937, and June 1, 1938, and that James loaned the work to Levy for his exhibition]; transferred to the Edward James Foundation, West Dean Estate, 1964; sold through The Mayor Gallery, London, to Lindy and Edwin Bergman, Chicago, 1983; given to the Art Institute of Chicago, 2018.
Accession Number
118664
Medium
Pen and black ink on pink laid paper
Dimensions
25.6 × 16.7 cm (10 1/8 × 6 5/8 in.)
Classification
pen and ink drawings
Credit Line
Lindy and Edwin Bergman Collection
Background & Context
Background Story
Salvador Dali's Formation of the Monsters (1935) shows the creation of monstrous hybrid forms, a theme that resonated with Dali's interest in the monstrous and the irrational.
Cultural Impact
Dali's monsters are among the most memorable images in Surrealist art.
Why It Matters
This formation of monsters captures Dali's fascination with the monstrous.
