Dalí's Dream of Venus
Artist
Reginald Marsh
(American, 1898–1954)
Date1939
MediumWatercolor on paper
Dimensions26 1/2 x 39 1/2 inches (67.3 x 100.3 cm)
ClassificationsPainting
Credit LineBequest of Louise and Alvin Myerberg
Object number2010.3.12
Collections
- ART OF THE UNITED STATES
- MODERN & CONTEMPORARY
- WORKS ON PAPER
Label TextAt the 1939 World’s Fair in New York, Spanish Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí presented his “Dream of Venus” pavilion in which partially-clothed women swam in tanks of water, enacting scenes from a dream envisioned by Dalí. It caused a great sensation among the public and undoubtedly attracted Reginald Marsh, who was known for his paintings of various characters from New York City streets. Marsh was part of the 14th Street School, a group of New York artists who were particularly interested in urban spectacles. Like his predecessors Robert Henri, George Luks, and others, Marsh initially worked as an illustrator for magazines and brought the same immediacy and quickness of execution to his paintings. For Marsh, who frequently depicted burlesque dancers and other denizens of the city, the “Dream of Venus” pavilion must have provided an unlimited source of subject matter.