Dalí’s Surrealist Macbeth Etchings – In a rare and striking confluence of surrealist genius and Shakespearean drama, the Victoria Memorial Hall in Kolkata unveiled a landmark exhibition showcasing Salvador Dalí’s etchings based on Macbeth, one of William Shakespeare’s most powerful tragedies. This captivating blend of European surrealism and classical English literature marks the first-ever public display of Dalí’s Macbeth portfolio in India and promises to deepen Kolkata’s relationship with global art.
The exhibition, inaugurated on July 15, presents a series of ten powerful etchings created by Dalí in 1969, commissioned by Éditions Rigal of France. These artworks interpret the dark and tragic narrative of Macbeth through the enigmatic visual language that made Dalí one of the most provocative artists of the 20th century. Curated by Jayanta Sengupta, the secretary and curator of Victoria Memorial Hall, the collection is a result of close coordination with a private collector in Paris who loaned the artworks specifically for this exhibition.
Dalí’s Vision of Macbeth: A Surreal Lens on Tragedy
Salvador Dalí’s engagement with Macbeth is emblematic of his obsession with psychological complexity, fate, and metaphysical inquiry. The ten etchings transform Shakespeare’s characters—Macbeth, Lady Macbeth, Banquo, and the Weird Sisters—into phantasmagorical figures etched with dramatic movement, symbolism, and eerie emotion. Dalí doesn’t retell the story as a linear narrative but rather distills it into dreamlike vignettes that reflect themes of ambition, guilt, prophecy, and death.
Each etching is meticulously rendered with intricate cross-hatching and layered imagery. The three witches, for instance, are imagined as spectral hybrids, hovering like ghosts from a subconscious realm. Lady Macbeth’s descent into madness is portrayed not through overt expression but by visual metaphors—hands stained with blood morphing into flowers, or a crown disintegrating into thorns.
Speaking at the opening ceremony, Jayanta Sengupta said, “Dalí saw Macbeth not just as a Shakespearean tragedy but as a psychological labyrinth, and his art navigates the fears and desires of the human psyche. This collection speaks to both art lovers and literature enthusiasts in equal measure.”
Rare Access and Cultural Significance
This exhibition is more than just a celebration of surrealist art; it’s also a statement about Kolkata’s evolving cultural landscape. The city, known for its deep literary roots and historical ties to the arts, continues to be a gateway between the East and the West. The presence of Dalí’s works reinforces Kolkata’s stature in global cultural circuits.
The Victoria Memorial has partnered with the French Consulate and Alliance Française du Bengale for the month-long event, reinforcing international artistic cooperation. Dalí’s works will be accompanied by multilingual panels interpreting each etching through the lens of art history, literature, and psychoanalysis. The organizers have also planned a series of public lectures, student art workshops, and film screenings on surrealism.
Notably, the exhibition is free to students and will offer guided tours led by trained docents. For the first time, the Victoria Memorial will also offer a digital viewing experience, allowing art lovers from outside Kolkata to explore high-resolution images of Dalí’s Macbeth etchings via their official website.
Victoria Memorial Official Website
Art in the Time of Conflict and Chaos
Dalí’s Macbeth series was created during a politically and culturally volatile period in the late 1960s. The tension of Cold War politics, the student uprisings in Paris, and the wider disillusionment with authority figures found a strange resonance in the themes of Macbeth. Dalí, ever the provocateur, channeled this disquiet into his art.
Art historian Arundhati Ghosh explained, “What makes Dalí’s Macbeth timeless is its ambiguity. Is Macbeth a hero or a villain? Is Lady Macbeth a monster or a tragic figure? These questions mirror the uncertainties of our time, and Dalí gives them a visual voice.”
Moreover, Dalí’s fascination with dreams, Freudian symbolism, and religious iconography is evident throughout the collection. His Macbeth doesn’t seek clarity—it revels in chaos, and that makes it compelling.
Audience Reactions and Academic Engagement
The initial response to the exhibition has been overwhelmingly positive. Students from Jadavpur University and Rabindra Bharati University were seen sketching the artworks, discussing interpretations of guilt, madness, and supernatural intervention.
Rituparna Sengupta, an MA literature student, shared: “As someone studying Shakespeare, I found it fascinating to see the characters reimagined through Dalí’s lens. His visual interpretation adds a new dimension to the text we read in class.”
Academicians have also expressed interest in the portfolio as a pedagogical tool. Plans are underway for a collaborative journal issue between the Victoria Memorial and several art and literature departments across Indian universities, focusing on Dalí’s work and its relevance to modern interdisciplinary studies.
From Barcelona to Bengal: Dalí’s Global Legacy
Though Salvador Dalí never visited India, his global reach has touched the country’s art institutions in recent years. A part of his Divine Comedy series was displayed in Delhi in 2018, but this is the first time an entire thematic portfolio like Macbeth has been showcased in Kolkata.
The timing of this exhibition also marks the 120th birth anniversary of the artist, making it a tribute to Dalí’s lasting influence. His widow and muse, Gala Dalí, was instrumental in supporting his literary illustrations, which include not only Macbeth but also Dante’s Divine Comedy and Cervantes’ Don Quixote.
Dalí’s Surrealist Macbeth Etchings: An Invitation to Dream Differently
The Macbeth etchings by Salvador Dalí are not simply artworks; they are invitations to revisit a classic through new eyes. They provoke, disturb, and challenge—the very goals of both surrealist art and Shakespearean drama. As visitors stream through the ornate halls of the Victoria Memorial, they’re drawn into a world where kings bleed ink, witches whisper in shadow, and crowns melt like wax.
For Kolkata, this is not just an art show—it is a rare cultural moment. One where the East meets the West, past meets present, and words become images. And in that space, Dalí reminds us that art doesn’t just reflect reality—it reinvents it.
External Links for Further Reading:
- Victoria Memorial Museum Kolkata
- Official Salvador Dalí Foundation
- Shakespeare and Surrealism Studies – JSTOR
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