When we think of Christmas in art, we usually imagine classic depictions of the Nativity made by some of history’s most renowned artists. We envision frescoes by Giotto from Scrovegni Chapel or theatrical Baroque depictions of the Nativity by Caravaggio. But if someone were to tell us about Christmas depictions by the Surrealists, we wouldn’t immediately think of anything specific. Not many know that Salvador Dalí, fascinated by commercial art at one point in his career, created a series of Christmas-inspired artworks that reimagine our favourite holiday in an avant-garde way.

Salvador Dalí is undoubtedly one of the most famous artists of the 20th century. This eccentric master of surrealism is best known for his dreamlike landscapes, often inspired by themes of time and the subconscious. Influenced by Freudian psychoanalysis, Dalí often depicted dreamlike landscapes filled with mystical symbolism that captured fears, desires and memories. 

In the early 1940s, Dali was exiled to America, where he discovered his new fascination: commercial art. He began collaborating on various projects with high-profile individuals, fashion brands, and advertising companies. It was no surprise that the world’s most commercialised holiday did not escape Dalí’s artistic imagination. A few years after Dalí’s arrival in the United States, the famous greeting card and gift company Hallmark commissioned him to create Christmas cards. His artworks were part of an initiative launched by the company’s founder, Joyce Clyde Hall, in the late 1940s to produce reproductions of famous contemporary artists. The idea was to popularise great art by using greetings cards to share masterpieces with millions of people who might otherwise never have encountered them.

One of the cards created by Dalí was titled “The Angel” (1947). The work offers a unique reinterpretation of the Nativity, showing the infant Jesus and Mary in the lower right corner. The most intriguing element is a pair of musicians, particularly an angel, whose wings surrealistically merge into the background, transforming into snow-covered mountains on the horizon. What’s interesting is that most of the figures lack faces, creating the impression that we are in a dream, where we can make out the outline of the world, but the details fade away. “The Angel,” like several of Dalí’s other works, was not well received by the American public. Hallmark did not return to collaborate with Dalí for some time, believing that his greeting cards were too avant-garde for the American market¹.

A decade later, Hallmark unexpectedly reached out to Dalí again, this time asking him to design greeting cards for various occasions, including Valentine’s Day, Mother’s Day, and Christmas. One of the most captivating creations from this new collaboration was an artwork “Christmas with Butterflies”. In this design, Dalí reimagines the traditional Christmas tree, transforming it into a group of butterflies – a striking reference to his recurring theme of metamorphosis. The card evokes a deep sense of nostalgia, as Dalí himself described the scene: the Christmas tree stands in the middle of a Spanish plain, with figures beneath it symbolising a young Dalí and his mother. The piece reflects the enduring nature of the Christmas holiday, a memory that remains deeply rooted in us from childhood. Unfortunately, once again, Dalí’s Christmas cards were misunderstood by the public and did not sell as expected. Despite this initial setback, Dalí’s greeting cards have since gained recognition, becoming sought-after collectibles in the art world today.

Although Salvador Dalí’s Christmas greeting cards were not a success, we certainly cannot say the same about the iconic cover he created for Vogue, which appeared in the December 1947 issue². The artist designed an unconventional cover that interactively captured the spirit of the season. The magazine cover was inspired by Leonardo da Vinci’s “The Adoration of the Magi”, where in the background we can see a broken bridge with trees growing on both sides. In Dalí’s version, Christmas trees adorned with sparkling stars flank the ends of the bridge, symbolising the upcoming holiday season. However, the cover is not a typical magazine design. When the edge of the page is folded and the bridge is connected, an ethereal face emerges, formed by anthropomorphic columns and arches. Dalí wanted this work to evoke his childhood fascination with creating optical illusions with paper, offering viewers a fun yet profound experience that reflects the magical, dreamlike quality of Christmas as a holiday rooted in childhood wonder.

Salvador Dali’s Christmas works have a unique sensibility about them. On the one hand, they depict the festive atmosphere in a surreal, dream-like way. However, as we delve deeper and understand their interpretation, they become nothing more than a dreamlike representation of Christmas from a child’s perspective. The magic of Christmas comes not just from all the commercialism surrounding the holiday, but from our childhood memories, when the anticipation of Santa Claus and the sight of presents under the Christmas tree evoked unimaginable excitement. Salvador Dalí’s paintings bring us back to the wonder of childhood, capturing the true magic and spirit of the Christmas season.

1. https://www.artsy.net/article/artsy-editorial-hallmark-once-gave-works-rockwell-dali-masses ↩︎
2.  https://www.vogue.com/article/interactive-vogue-cover-by-surrealist-salvador-dali-from-the-archives ↩︎