Metamorphosis of Narcissus is an oil painting produced in 1937 by Spanish painter Salvador Dali.
Metamorphosis of Narcissus was from Salvador Dali painting from Paranoiac critical period.
Narcissus was regarded as the great beauty at that period that broke several other lovers’ hearts by loving only himself and not others. It was believed that the gods punished Narcissus by letting him see his own mirror reflection into the pool. By seeing himself, Narcissus fell in love with himself but couldn’t embrace it and was really frustrated on the fact that he can’t make love to himself. He died due to frustration and was born again in the form of a flower. Salvador Dali used hand-painted color photography techniques in this painting which depicts the after-effects of Narcissus transformation to flower. He was kneeling in the oil with a hand holding an egg from which flower was growing.
Metamorphosis of Narcissus painting depicts Narcissus who was sitting in the pool and watching the mirror reflections of his own while gazing down towards the water in the pool. There is a decaying stone nearby in the painting which corresponds to Narcissus but in a different manner. The egg was used as sexuality in several painting by Dali and was also present in this painting from which Narcissus was growing. In the background of this painting, there were several naked figures present which depicts that they were going into the pool.
This painting meant a great deal to Salvador Dali. In this painting, it is believed according to Greek mythology that Narcissus fell in love with his own mirror reflection coming from the water in a pool. He was unable to embrace it and was pinned away so gods immortalized him in the form of a flower. Salvador Dali completed this painting when he was returning to Paris after such a long time. Salvador Dali got great success in the US. The dimensions of the painting were 51.2 cm × 78.1 cm or 20.12 in × 30 3⁄4 in.
The work can be viewed at Tate Modern, London.