Rome prepares for a major retrospective celebrating the multifaceted, controversial, and visionary artistic personality of Catalan master Salvador Dalí this October. Titled “Dalí. Revolution and Tradition,” the exhibition opens October 17th at Palazzo Cipolla, Museo del Corso, organized by the Fondazione Roma in collaboration with the Fundació Gala-Salvador Dalí.
Running until February 1, 2026, the show marks the centenary of Dalí’s first solo exhibition. Under the scientific direction of Montse Aguer, Director of the Dalí Museums, and curated by Carme Ruiz González and Lucia Moni, it will feature over 60 paintings and drawings alongside photographic and audiovisual materials. This comprehensive presentation traces Dalí’s artistic trajectory, his embrace of Surrealism, the development of his unique visual language, and his deep interests in science, literature, philosophy, and cinema.
The exhibition focuses centrally on the four artists who profoundly shaped Dalí’s work, dividing into four thematic sections. Dalí explicitly declared his ambition in the 1930s to “become a classic,” citing Velázquez, Vermeer, and Raphael as his supreme models. Alongside these Old Masters, the influential contemporary Pablo Picasso – whom Dalí met in Paris in 1926 – is highlighted. Dalí maintained a complex relationship with Picasso, characterized by mutual respect, intense rivalry, and intellectual dialogue. The show underscores how Dalí’s genius fused creative flair with technical precision, juxtaposing provocation with reverence for artistic giants, and blending originality with deliberate quotation.