What is the meaning of the 'Ecumenical Council' by Dali?

Answer 1

Type your answer here... I am not a professional art critic, but I am a serious Catholic and artist. To me, Dali's painting is an artistic representation of ALL the Ecumenical Councils the Church has had in its 2,000 year history, beginning with the Council of Jerusalem. The Councils are ever-present in time.

If you look closely at the groupings of figures, you see figures wearing the bishops' mitred cap. These figures receed or advance in space and time. In some other groupings, there are figures with tall caps, but flat at the top. I believe these represent the Roman Catholic bishops and the Eastern Orthodox bishops, respectively. In 1274 the Council of Lyons tried to unite the Roman and Greek churches to dispel the Turks from Constantinople. Other Councils, under the authority of Rome, formalized the teachings of the Church, countered heresies, developed the preferential option for the poor, defined the role of the Papacy, and so on. The teachings of the Council are unchanging, ever-present, and over-arching.

Which brings us to the arch from St. Peter's in the center-top. I believe the central male figure is not "God", but Adam or humanity. Adam's sin-- pride, eating of the fruit from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil, hiding from God, wanting to become his own god--is reflected in the size of Adam under the arch. His pride was so great, Dali represents him as oversize, barely fitting inside the arch, contorted, hand reaching out as if to grasp something, anything that would free him from the constriction of the arch. This is a representation, in my opinion, of mankind forever struggling against the teachings of the One True Church.

At the sides, the left figure and the right figure represent the teaching of the Church on the Incarnarion of Christ at the Annunciation, with the Archangel Gabriel (The Messenger) on the left and the Blessed Virgin Mary on the right. Above Mary is the Holy Spirit represented as a dove. Gabriel is holding a cross and pointing to the heavens because God has sent Gabriel. This is a classic pose in Catholic Annunciation art, except that Dali has substituted the cross for the lily. Mary is also in standard pose with her arms crossed over her chest in humble acceptance. The whole of the Church exists on the teaching of the Incarnation of Christ, there is nothing that does not flow from it. Without the Incarnation there can be no Resurrection. The Rosary has as its First Mystery the Annunciation, to reinforce the importance of this teaching.

In the lower left, Dali has used his wife Gala, holding a book and a cross. Many have interpreted this to depict St. Helena, who found relics of the True Cross. This may have been Dali's intent, but I also think Gala could be representing Mother Church holding The Bible (the Word of God) and the True Cross (the Tradition of the Church).

The rocks on the right surely represents Peter, Cephas, the Rock, "upon this rock I will build my church." And, lastly, Dali himself on the left corner as a signature.

Thank you for your time,

Library Lady