Salvador Dali (Spanish, 1904-89). The Persistence of Memory. 1931. Oil on canvas, 9 1/2 x 13" (24.1 x 33 cm). Given anonymously

How to read a label

1. Does knowing the painting's artist, title, and date change your views?
   
   
2. How would you define "memory"? What do you associate with this word?
   
   
3. Does any part of your definition or your associations with the word "memory" relate to this painting? Why or why not?

Dali said he wanted to "systematize confusion and thus to help discredit completely the world of reality." Put in simpler terms, Dali's paintings might include peoples, places, and things that he combines in surprising ways perhaps not found in reality.

In your opinion, do you think Dali succeeds in making a confusing world unlike the one you know? Using specific examples you see in the image, explain why you do or do not think he succeeds.

Consider the small dimensions of the painting. You might have noticed it is not much bigger than a regular-sized piece of paper.

Imagine the painting was as large as Diego Rivera's fresco Agrarian Leader Zapata. Do you think you would relate to Dali's painting in a different way if it were that big?