The Persistence of Memory

Salvador Dalí's *The Persistence of Memory*, an iconic Surrealist painting, was completed in 1931. This small oil on canvas measures just 24.1 x 33 cm (9.5 x 13 inches), a size that often surprises viewers who expect a larger work due to its monumental cultural presence. The painting features melting clocks in a desolate landscape, a concept Dalí himself linked to the surrealist perception of a Camembert cheese melting in the sun. First exhibited in 1932 at the Julien Levy Gallery, it was acquired by the Museum of Modern Art (MoMA) in New York City in 1934, where it has remained ever since. It is one of the most recognizable works of Surrealism, frequently referenced in popular culture.