Nu féminin, hystérique et aérodynamique (Hysterical and Aerodynamic Female Nude), 1934/73

Conceived in plaster in 1934 and cast in bronze in 1973 by Fonderie Valsuani. The present work is an artist’s proof from an edition of 8 plus 4 artist's proofs.

In the present work, a figure reclines across a low, wave-like base, her body arched and twisted in a sweeping line. From this organic core, a large blade-like form erupts upward and to the left—distinct from the figure yet complimentary in its composition. Smaller tapered projections emerge at the feet, reinforcing the sense of motion in the tableau. This is further echoed in the shape of the figure’s head which has been streamlined to an aerodynamic form—the female nude refracted through the visual language of aviation and industrial design that captivated the Surrealists in the early 1930s.

Dalí referred to the work as “Aerodynamic Woman” in his publication, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí (1942), a title that foregrounds the mechanics of the body rather highlighting its eroticism. The plaster version of the present composition was reproduced as early as 1935 in Dalí’s seminal publication, La Conquête de l'irrationnel, underscoring its importance within his oeuvre.