Invisible Dali

Shea Saulino

Professor Rachel Goldberg

November 14th, 2016

Freshman Foundations Course

Dalí vs. Halsman

Invisible Dalí was published in 1954 by Philippe Halsman. The photograph portrays the elusive revolutionary artist Salvador Dalí with only his iconic mustache, a tailored fashionable suit, and groomed hair. His facial features, such as eyes, nose, and mouth, were removed in post processing. On display at the San Diego Museum of Photographic Arts, I sat with the image and tried to comprehend the significance of this image of a man without a face. Without much clear analysis of this photograph by reputable sources, I was forced to find my own meaning in the shell of Salvador Dalí. I looked deep into Dalí and Halsman’s lives to see what events influenced the creation of Invisible Dalí and what its true meaning is.

The 1950s served as Dalí’s era of exploration into mathematics. He released the highly anticipated Crucifixion oil painting in 1954 (the same year Philippe Halsman’s Invisible Dalí was exhibited), with a cubist-approach and featuring an “exploding Christ.” This painting was met with high critical acclaim and continued to catapult Salvador Dalí to a household name. It is widely noted that he loved the fame and attention he received for his work. He continued to prove to the world that he was not only an artist, but a performance artist by elevating the risk and reward for his art. Publicity stunts rose to new extremes and added elusivity to the artist. As a friend standing by, Philippe Halsman must’ve felt as though his friend was slipping away from his true self. Halsman documented the sacrifice of a man who was constantly in search of his next great work of art by taking his face away and leaving nothing but the superficial shell.

“Every face I see seems to hide and sometimes, fleetingly, to reveal the mystery of another human being… Capturing this revelation became the goal and passion of my life.” -Philippe Halsman

As Salvador Dalí garnered fame and fortune, Philippe Halsman struggled to find inspiration. There was a significant gap in works exhibited by Halsman post Invisible Dalí. Halsman resurfaced in 1959, several years after his famed photograph. In the years between,

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