Author | LuLu
A while ago, I went to Barcelona and spent the whole day visiting the Dalí Museum in Figeras, a small town 120 kilometers away from Barcelona.
Whether you know Dalí himself or not, you have always seen this painting.
But today I want to talk about not Dalí, but Dalí's wife Gala.
Dalí and Gala
In the art world, especially in Europe, male artists have mistresses, which is too pediatric.
Picasso, who is famous all over the world, has several years of love and has also fallen in love with a married woman.
These women, all have an elegant word: "muse muse", which is their continuous creative inspiration and a victim of art.
However, Salvador Dalí, who is the same name as Picasso and regards Picasso as the "father" of art, is an alternative madman in the art world.
Instead of looking for a cardamom girl who was dozens of years younger than himself and had just entered the society, he fell in love with Gala, a woman who was already married and had children, and turned a blind eye to the dozen green hats she wore for herself.
In his autobiography, he expressed his fiery love for her: "I love her more than my mother, more than my father, more than Picasso, and even more than money." "I also wanted to build two tombs after death, with a small opening in the middle, so that the two could walk hand in hand to death."
Listen, it's just so bizarre, let me tell you the story of this woman, but please be prepared, there are a lot of men in it, and it's overwhelming.
Dalí's wife, Gala, whose real name is not Gala, is a Russian woman with a long name, Elena Ivanovna Diakonova, mysterious, controversial, and highly artistically and literarily sensitive.
Born in 1894 in Kazan, Russia, she grew up in Moscow with four children, the third in line.
At the age of 10, due to the unexpected death of her father, her mother violated her teachings and remarried in order to allow the family of five to survive and have a more comfortable life.
In that era, with four children to remarry, but also to remarry a richer lawyer, Gala's mother wrist is first-class, and if there is a mother must have her daughter, this Russian woman From afar, Gala, subverted and rebuilt the entire European literary and artistic circle, and also has a source.
When the other three children regard the lawyer stepfather as an enemy after entering the new home, only Gala and the lawyer stepfather get along well, and know how to look at the words and choose the path that is most beneficial to them.
In that backward era, the women of Kazan city could not receive higher education.
In order to escape the shackles of the small place, Gala received a financial support from his stepfather and went directly to St. Petersburg to complete his studies and courses, graduated with high scores, and won the qualification to teach.
Therefore, no matter what era and country, knowledge can change destiny.
However, while she was imagining a bright future, an accident struck.
In 1912, the thin Gala suffered from severe tuberculosis.
In the era of underdeveloped medicine, tuberculosis was equal to terminal illness, and outstanding women such as Lin Daiyu, Lin Huiyin, and Xiao Hong all died of tuberculosis.
Young Gala, slim in stature, without much flesh on his face
Thanks to her lawyer stepfather, she was sent to the Clavadel Sanatorium in Switzerland.
The nursing home is still the most famous in the world for respiratory rehabilitation, allergies and skin diseases.
From Russia to Switzerland, even at the beginning of the last century, silver was flowered. Knowing how to judge the situation, promote the development of events, choose the most favorable side for themselves, and maximize their lives, Gala has understood this truth since the age of ten.
It was in the Swiss hospital that Gala met her first marriage, Paul Éluard, who was a year younger than himself, and would become the future, the famous French free poet.
Paul was also a handsome guy when he was young
And The alias Gala was given to her by Paul.
The two entered the nursing home at about the same time, stayed for two years, and then recovered at the same time.
They were of similar age, like-minded, and both liked literature, and Gala introduced Paul a lot, heavyweight Russian writers who were not particularly famous for Western Europe at the time, such as Lev Tolstoy, Dostoevsky, and so on.
For Paul, Gala is like the savior of his life, a warm light that shines into his life and gives him the courage to pursue his dreams.
In 1924, Paul wrote a love poem "Lady Love"
Like the one written to Gala
Gala's artistic attainments are high, and she is very sensitive to art, and during her time in the retreat, she not only encourages, tolerates, listens to his creations, but also puts forward her own different opinions.
Gala describes himself: "I will shine like a cocktail and emit the smell of perfume. ”
Gala and Paul in 1913
Whether you have seen Gala in the same era or in today's photos, you can see that Gala is not beautiful, but it is definitely confident enough, and her charm is unshakable.
Paul fell, and the two were privately engaged in a nursing home for life.
Behind every unwavering little couple, there will be a bunch of parents who voted against it.
Paul's parents' opinion is that the son went to the hospital for two years and came back to marry a Russian girl, which is outrageous! And Gala's parents thought the same thing.
At this time, the Outbreak of World War I, Paul went to the battlefield, originally thought that after the war, Paul would change his mind, who knew more determined, he has been convincing his parents to marry Gala.
Paul and his parents
In distant Russia, Gala is also determined to marry Paul.
She persuaded her stepfather to pay for her studies at the Sorbonne University in France. During the war, he traveled to Paris alone, helsinki, Stockholm, Ampston in England, then to Dieppe, and finally to Paris.
In 1917, two people who had been in love for four years got married, excluding nationality, language, war and other factors.
It's like a fairy tale, the climax has calmed down, and the two know that there are too many real problems in front of them.
Paul is an idealistic man, love is important, patriotism is more important, even if Gala opposes, he still has to go back to the army to fight, and the next day of the wedding runs away.
Leaving Gala living alone in France with a language barrier and no friends, and also pregnant.
Gala, who had just given birth to her daughter, Cécile Eluard, had tired eyes in her eyes
This disrupted Gala's plans, and she never wanted to be a wife and mother in the traditional sense.
"I'll never look like a housewife, I'll read lots and lots of books, I'll do design or translate, I'll do anything, but I want to have the temperament I show is effortless." 」
Who takes care of the child when it is born? Paul's mother and grandmother.
From left to right: Paul's mother, Gala and Paul's grandmother
Fortunately, world war I ended in 1918, and Gala ushered in her highlight moment.
Paul returned home and published the poems he had written during his time in the army, which suddenly established himself as a talented poet and participated in the French Surrealist movement, becoming one of the leaders.
Gala has also suddenly become a famous and famous celebrity wife in the art circle, and she is very happy in the art circle.
A small group photo of a family of three
At this time, the emotional crisis between Gala and Paul is quietly playing out.
Paul met a lot of like-minded friends, the following names are too long, in fact, can be ignored, André Breton, Philippe Soupault and Louis Aragon, in short, are the most famous artists and writers at that time.
As Paul's "muse", after all, in the art world, calling "muse" is more compelling than "wife", and Gala, who is literate and humorous and sociable, can always make the party interesting and even become a source of inspiration for everyone.
Gala and Paul, and the artists' party
From a yellow-faced housewife with a baby at home to a salon heroine in the art circle, this gap is not generally large.
Gala has never been a gentle and virtuous woman, marriage is untethered for her, and soon as a wife, she began to have an affair with her husband's artist friends, such as André Breton and Louis Aragon, all of whom were her subordinates.
On the left is André Breton and on the right is Louis Aragon
They are all good looking, and they are two or three years younger than Gala
Gala and Picasso are said to have had a leg, but it has not been confirmed.
The reason for this scandal is that Picasso, known for his miserliness and frugality, actually allowed Gala to choose any painting in his studio, which was never a good thing.
And the shrewdness of Gala is that she took a very small painting directly and said that she wanted this one. While making the miserly Picasso feel comfortable, he also succeeded in taking away the painting.
Personally, I think Gala should not have a leg with Picasso, because Gala is a face control, and she has an affair, all of them are handsome men younger than her, and should not look at Picasso who is so much older than herself.
The art world is so small.
Picasso (first row far left) and Paul (first row third from left) are also friends
Gala is best known for her husband's best friend, a German artist with a clear eyebrow, Max Ernst, who is also a small fresh meat.
The two staged a three-year-long, vigorous relationship, of course, at the same time, both were married.
Max Ernst
Max was married and had children before he met Gala. His wife is Luise Straus, who is very powerful, the first female master in the history of the University of Bonn in Germany, specializing in art history.
This was Max Ernst's first wife, Luise Straus
Although the son is very handsome, the wife is not beautiful enough, and she is not attractive as Gala.
In 1921, Gala and Paul visited Max in Cologne, Germany, and the two fell in love at first sight under the watchful eye of their husbands.
Max described Gala: "That Russian woman... The slippery, sparkling creature, with its jet-black hair, vaguely oriental colors, bright black eyes, and small, delicate bones, had to remind one of a black panther. ”
As for the artists, emotions are higher than responsibility, and Max decisively abandons the chaff and comes to Paris, illegally smuggling Paul's passport and staying in Paul's house.
Two families, six people once had a group photo
It turns out that looking at faces didn't just start today
Isn't Paul angry? Angry to death, but he couldn't beat Gala at all!
Gala sophistry: Max and I are free love, if you are jealous, then you lose, is stupid, unfortunate that you are still a free poet, not to give your wife freedom at all.
So the three of them lived together in a villa north of Paris for three years in a very strange way, and the relationships of husband and wife, lover, lover, enemy and friend were intertwined.
Therefore, those who are careful to talk about "open marriage" today are simply picking up people's teeth, and some people have practiced it 100 years ago.
In the photo of the three people, the left is the lover and the right is the husband
It has to be said that emotion is the source of all art, plus they live in Paris, a city that nourishes artists.
During this chaotic, tearing, but enthusiastic time, Max painted a lot of paintings in Paul's villa, many of which were inspired by Gala, and did not hide his love.
This painting is inspired by Gala's eyes
It's called Gala Éluard, 1924
The painting was inspired by a gathering between their friends, and Gala was the only woman among them.
In 1922's Gathering of Friends, Gala was on the far right of the second row
After living together for three years, her husband Paul broke down, not only paralyzed himself with alcohol, but also chose to run away from home, and at one point was suspected of dying because he had disappeared for too long. But he can persist for three years, he is already very determined.
In fact, he ran to Southeast Asia, calmed down for a long time, still can't put down Gala, this woman is really a poisonous snake growing in the man's heart, can't put it down.
He wrote to Gala to save their marriage, hoping that Gala would come to him.
The three of them take a group photo, and the woman in the third from the left is also a surrealist artist
Gala, who remained in Paris, consulted with Max and decided to sell Paul's careful collection of 61 paintings, including 6 of which belonged to Picasso, to raise travel expenses and go to Southeast Asia together.
At this point, it is really no longer possible to discuss it with "Tenri", so the two of them used the money from the sale of Paul's collection to spend a lot of money to go to Southeast Asia.
Between the lovers, the passion of the flesh has an end, so tossed, and Gala and Max have been for three years, there is nothing new, so the relationship between the three is over, and Gala returns to Paul's side.
At this point, the broken mirror is reunited. But wait, didn't we write Dali at the beginning? How come three thousand words have been written and Dalí has not yet appeared?
Fast forward, Dalí is on his way to Gala. In 1928, Paul's lung disease recurred, and Paul and Gala, two in a sanatorium in Switzerland, a place where two people were in love, spent their last winter.
Because the following summer, she met the hero of our story, Salvador Dalí, the man who had been entangled with her for 53 years.
Gala and Dalí
The encounter between the two is still a familiar plot.
In August 1929, Gala and Paul went to the small Spanish fishing village of Cadaqués and met Dalí, 10 years old, of Gala.
Dalí fell in love with Gala at first sight and fell madly in love with the Russian woman.
Dalí wrote in his autobiography: "She (Gala) is destined to be my Gradiva, the one who moves forward, my victory, my wife." ”
Gradiva is the name of a novel and the heroine of the novel, who heals the male protagonist with mental illness.
Gala is not a woman with a love brain, she initially dismissed Dalí as a madman, but she discovered Dalí's talent for painting, a once-in-a-century wizard.
Two on the beach in 1930
And most importantly, Dalí wouldn't care about her promiscuity.
It's no secret that Dalí's sexuality is dysfunctional, and many years later, Dalí once said, "I tried to have sex with a woman, and that was Gala, and in fact, I overestimated myself." ”
When he met Gala, Dalí was still a little virgin, afraid of women's reproductive organs, supposedly the shadows left by childhood.
Such a calculation, with the younger, more handsome, more talented and laissez-faire Dalí, life is better.
Gala immediately decided to abandon Paul and stay with Dali, and the two often walked by the sea and in the woods.
It is said that Dalí's 1929 "The Containment of Desire"
It was inspired by the experience of the seaside
Therefore, between Gala and Dali, from the very beginning, the relationship is different from ordinary people.
Dalí's works are full of dreams and sexual hints, but Dalí has no sexual experience, so Dalí, all the unanasable desires are infused into his paintings, and Gala is his support and carrier, and his muse.
In this photo, Dali is in the middle of the first row and Max Ernst in the fourth from the left
The second row, first left, is Paul Éluard, shot in 1933
Paul officially became Gala's past tense, returning to Paris with his daughter, while Gala began another artistic career of his own, "Making Dalí".
At that time, although Dalí was not a master of art history who would live forever like today, he was already a rising star and had a certain reputation.
With Gala, everyone thought that Gala, who was 10 years older, had come to grab money. Painters who are obviously artistically creative are more famous and commercially valuable than their husbands as poets.
Dalí's father simply expelled Dalí from the house and severed the father-son relationship. Dalí shaved all his hair and headed to Paris to find Gala.
If this kind of abandonment of husband and daughter occurs today, the marriage cheats on small fresh meat, the two people are directly sprayed into a sieve by netizens, but they live in Paris!
Many people who have studied Dalí's art believe that without Gala, Dalí would have become an artist, but would never have been the cornerstone of modern art.
Before Gala's arrival, Dalí's spirit was unstable, often falling into insanity, and only Gala was able to stabilize his emotions.
Gala became a model, agent, art connoisseur, bank butler, etc. at Dalí, knowing how to make clear and heartfelt compliments at work, and she was not shy about making harsh criticisms.
The photograph clearly expresses that Gala manipulated Dalí
Work ranges from selecting and researching the best paints, varnishes and brushes to finding beautiful old frames to showcase Dalí's paintings.
Using tarot cards to divine Dalí's career prospects, Dalí was at ease to do a pure painter's job.
He also helped Dalí build his image in Paris, introducing Dalí to the famous fashion designer, Christian Dior.
The one on the left is Mr. Dior and the one on the right is Dalí
Yes, Dior is also in Gala's circle of friends. That's because Dior was desperate, and before the fashion designer, Dior and his friends invested in a gallery, and people in the art world, Gala knew.
Heroes cherish heroes, Mr. Dior gave Dalí all-round support, always cared for Dalí's paintings, and helped him sell his paintings.
Later, Dior Gallery could not continue to operate, had to change to become a designer, in 1947 with the "new look" swept the world's women, Gala often wore Dior design suits, celebrities and celebrities, have a connection.
These sets are all dressed in Dior's clothes, and the style is obvious
Such a complete set of operation, is a pig can be red, let alone the talented Dalí?
Before meeting Gala, Dalí's painting style was complex and unstructured, realistic and abstract, and there were many painters, but not his own.
Early Dalí paintings
After being with Gala, he gradually developed his own style, expressing desire, expressiveness, and being very surreal.
Many of Dalí's paintings use Gala as a model, reflecting his deep love for Gala.
For example, in this painting "The Virgin of The Port of Ligat", the Virgin Mary in it is based on Gala, and for Dali, it really sees Gala as the Virgin.
Our Lady of Ligat Port
"The Second Before Awakening" is also Gala.
"A Second Before Awakening"
The origin of this "Bloody Rose" is that in the summer of 1930, she had her uterus removed, and in this anxious situation, Dalí created the painting. The shadow next to it, some people think it is Dalí himself.
"Roses in Blood", art should not be coded, but...
Some of the paintings are easy to see that they are Gala;
Portrait of Gala
It doesn't matter if you can't see some of them, you can tell it's Gala when you look at the shape.
"A Dream Triggered by a Bee Flying Around a Red Pomegranate a Second Before Waking Up"
Yes, its original name is so long
Even the sculptures, many of which are based on Gala.
The heel-inspired hat she wears on her head comes from the work of Italian designer Elsa Schiaparelli, who has been called Madame Chanel's number one predator
In Dalí's later works, he would even sign the names of two people, and put Gala in front, which was more important than his own name.
Many scholars who study Dali's paintings also regard Gala as a co-creator.
It's not because Gala picked up a paintbrush or a signature on the painting, but because she provided a steady stream of inspiration, and how to present it and how to present it was up to her.
Creatively, Gala is giving, Dalí is taking; in money, it's the opposite.
Gala got exactly what she wanted, and with Dalí's international prestige and income, she truly became a high-society lady,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,000,0
And Gala has never been at peace with desire, there are many little lovers, when Dalí worked in the studio, she was out and around with the little lover, Dalí not only knew everything, but also very acquiesced.
Dalí was very self-aware, and he couldn't do without Gala and gave Him everything he wanted.
In 1958, gala was 64 years old, and the two had another religious wedding. The first was in 1934 and was civil.
Don't think of Dalí as single-minded, though.
Over time, he needed other inspirations, so he found a 19-year-old teenage mistress, Amanda Lear, and introduced her to Gala.
Dalí and his mistress Amanda Lear
Amanda Lear, who is still alive, has been a lover to Dalí for a lifetime, mixed into a French celebrity with a familiar face all his life, often comes out for interviews, has appeared in singles, and her affair has a lot.
If you're interested, raise your hand later, and I'll continue to write the muse story of this chaotic art world.
Now Amanda Lear
Dalí and Gala were also filmed each bringing their young lovers and mistresses to the show!
What is open marriage, this is the most perfect answer!
Even so, Gala is not satisfied. When he was 10 years younger than himself, he could still call a small milk dog, and when he was old, he still carried crutches, wasn't that a bad old man?
In order to have fun with the little fresh meat without being disturbed, she proposed to separate from Dalí.
Seeing that the muse was unhappy, Dalí immediately did so. In 1968, he bought an eleventh-century castle in Gérone, Spain, restored it and painted beautiful ceiling frescoes and door frames for his muses to hang out with young men.
The castle where Gala lives
Dalí also signed an unequal treaty, and if Dalí wanted to come to the castle to play, he had to get Gala's written permission.
You can toss Dalí's beard at will
Treaties that humiliate the country really cannot be signed, and the lower the posture of one party, the higher the other side will advance, the balance will be broken, and the good days will come to an end.
Free and relaxed, Gala began to spend a lot of money on plastic surgery, looking for younger puppies, spending money like dirt, and the lights were red and green, not caring about Dalí's opinion.
Gala, who is nearly 80 years old, also hangs out with Jeff Fenholt, a young American Broadway singer who is 56 years younger than her, and not only gives him a valuable Dalí painting, but also buys him a house of more than $1 million.
Jeff Fenholt和Gala
Where does the money come from? Sell Dalí's paintings.
The problem was that Dalí's paintings were limited, and the elderly Dalí had the precursors of a stroke and could no longer continue to paint. So Gala forced Dalí to sign on a blank canvas, find a counterfeiter to complete the paintings, and go to the auction house to sell them for a sky-high price.
In 1980, Dalí knew that he was mad and did everything possible to please the muse, and even destroyed his own works for other men.
So, one day, 76-year-old Dalí hit 86-year-old Gala directly, breaking her ribs twice.
Gala also fights back, giving Da a lot of sedatives, making him drowsy and causing irreversible nerve damage.
The elderly who are all about to fall into the ground, love vigorously, jealous to the point that their legs and feet are not flexible, they will put each other to death, the life of the artist, is really arbitrary!
Even so, Dalí still has a deep affection for Gala, Gala is really gone, he is ten thousand unwilling.
In 1982, the elderly and sick Gala fell into Alzheimer's disease, fell, was taken to the hospital, got the flu, and finally left under Dalí's watchful eye.
A woman who has been entangled with herself for 53 years, love and hate, Dalí has never been so uncomfortable in her life.
The first time he called The Spanish King Juan, the father of the current Spanish King, in his opinion, it was not his wife who had gone, but also the national treasure of Spain, which must be buried with the highest specifications.
In 1979, Dalí and Gala met with the King
For The sake of Gala, Dalí violated Spanish law and transported Gala from Barcelona back to the Pubol Castle he bought, only because Gala's last wish was to be buried there.
All the grievances disappeared, leaving only heavy thoughts and reluctance.
After Gala's funeral, Dalí locked himself up, crying incessantly, not eating or drinking, refusing comfort from friends, forbidding anyone to mention Gala's name, and even losing the will to live.
Dalí, who had lost Gala, was in a trance, malnourished, and died with Gala a few years later.
Gala is a man with a thousand faces.
Her daughter believes that Gala is a very irresponsible mother. "After she met Dalí, she didn't care about me, she was mysterious, I never met my Russian family, I don't even know when my mother was born."
Her friends believe that Gala is a person who knows what she needs and puts an effort into it, "Gala knows what she wants, the joy of the heart and senses, and the company of genius." ”
J, Dalí's painting dealer, believes that Gala is a devil, a "real Satanic monster", a "demonic abuser", and "possessing the sexual desire of an electric eel"...
Gala is not an artist herself, she does not directly create, but it is undeniable that she does have extraordinary artistic discernment. She once said, "Look, didn't I do a good job of rejecting Max?" He wouldn't have much influence, and Dalí, after I got him, how successful he was! ”
She was also an extremely selfish woman, only to achieve the fame she wanted, the aristocratic life of money. She managed to be behind the man's back and manipulate everything.
Not every woman can do what Gala looks like, but it has to be said that she is a surrealist work of art in herself and cannot be copied.
Lu Lu: A master of clothing in France with two daughters, a writer, walking in the middle of the rift between Eastern and Western cultures, elegant women self-media. The new books "Thirty Or So Late" and "Strength to Have Confidence" are selling well.