Dalí portrayed by women

Pictures of the renowned Catalan painter Salvador Dalí that were taken at different times in his life are on display in a new exhibition. However, this exhibit adds a key novelty: all the images were taken by women, including his wife and muse, Gala Dalí. In fact, for the first time, Gala is described as an "artist" and not only as Dalí's muse. The exhibition goes on display today at the Castle of Púbol, in northern Catalonia.

Called "They Shoot Dalí", the exhibit includes some 40 images of the Catalan painter, all of which were taken by 14 different women. Some of the pictures have already been published in the press and in books. Yet around 15 have never before been published. According to the director of the Dalí Museum, Montse Aguer, the exhibition reveals elements that allow visitors to "build" an image of Dalí's figure.  

The exhibition has two main highlights. On the one hand, viewers can trace Dalí's evolution throughout his life. The pictures go from when the painter was still young to Dalí as the renowned painter we know today. Yet visitors can also discover Gala's work, which have remained hidden until now. So far, Dalí's wife was simply considered his muse, but the exhibition shows her to have been an artist in her own right.

According to the exhibition's curator, these are Gala's first works, and like all photographers, she uses photography as a "form of expression."