Ruth

Salvador Dalí, detail from the lithograph Familia Ruth Moabitidis, 1964.

Salvador Dalí (1904–89) was a remarkable Spanish surrealist artist. His eccentric lifestyle made him an important figure in the surrealist cultural movement that sought to reconcile dreams with reality. This work, part of Dalí’s five-volume illustrated Biblia Sacra, depicts the destitute family of Ruth. Boaz, a wealthy Israelite, notices Ruth, a poor foreigner from Moab, and promises to marry her, alleviating her family’s difficult circumstances. Dalí depicts Ruth in a pastoral scene with her family harmoniously gathered together during troubled times.  The central figure, Ruth is portrayed in soft yellows, attesting to her noble character.