Dalí Atomicus
Philippe Halsman, Dalí Atomicus, 1948 (negative); printed later, gelatin silver print, Gift of Stu Levy and Cris Maranze, © Philippe Halsman and Halsman Archive, 86.89.1
This work is not currently on view.
- Title
Dalí Atomicus
- Artist
- Date
1948 (negative); printed later
- Medium
gelatin silver print
- Dimensions (H x W x D)
image: 10 1/4 in x 13 in; sheet: 10 7/8 in x 14 in
- Inscriptions & Markings
stamp: © "copyright by Philippe Halsman", black ink, verso center
- Collection Area
Photography
- Category
Photographs
- Object Type
photograph
- Culture
American
- Credit Line
Gift of Stu Levy and Cris Maranze
- Accession Number
86.89.1
- Copyright
© Philippe Halsman and Halsman Archive
- Terms
Philippe Halsman believed that having his subjects jump rather than sit passively for their portraits would uncover "their ambition or their lack of it, their self-importance or their insecurity, and many other traits." A range of personalities including Marilyn Monroe, Richard Nixon, and the Duke and Duchess of Windsor participated in his jumping portraits; this photograph of Surrealist artist Salvador Dalí is the most celebrated of the series. To realize the final image, Halsman made twenty-six exposures over six hours. Though the cats were not harmed during this lengthy process, it is reported that they were not in good spirits by the end of the shoot.
- Exhibitions
2003 In Varied and Particular Ways: Photographs from a Century of Photography Portland Art Museum
2010 Likeness: Portraiture from the Photography Collection Portland Art Museum
2013 Fierce: Animal Life from the Collection Portland Art Museum
