La Gare de Perpignan

La Gare de Perpignan
Artist Salvador Dalí
Year 1965
Medium Oil on canvas
Location Museum Ludwig, Cologne
Dimensions 117 in × 160 in
296 cm × 406 cm

La Gare de Perpignan is a painting by Spanish artist Salvador Dalí and dates back to the year 1965. This painting is a large oil on canvas that is considered one of Dali’s masterpieces and a good example of his surrealistic techniques.

The painting shows the railway station of Perpignan, but with various intrinsic additions, which are examples of surrealistic techniques. A locomotive is seen as if it is coming out of nowhere, and there is a representation of the crucifixion of Christ along with other related aspects. These include the farmer’s fork which represents Christ’s bleeding wounds, a boat which represents the passage from life to death, and the distinction between the elements on the right and left. The left part is made up of positive elements, whereas the right section is composed of negative elements which signify sin and suffering.


This painting encompasses several artistic techniques. There are several axes of symmetry, and a lot of emphasis was placed on the use of colors so as to depict light in various effective ways. Earthly colors such as dark brown and yellow are used, and different gradients of these two colors are used throughout the painting.

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