In “Metamorphosis of Narcissus,” Spanish Surrealist Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989) interprets the Greek myth in his Paranoiac-Critical style, in which he infuses his artwork with a paranoia that causes the brain to connect things which are not otherwise rationally linked. According to Greek mythology, Narcissus falls in love with his own reflection, refuses to eat or sleep and eventually ceases to exist. He is then immortalized by the gods where he sits as the purple flower that bears his name.

One of the 20th century’s most innovative and influential artists, Dali believed that psychology was instrumental to the creation of art and therefore knowledge and for this reason filled his images with symbolism and meaning that could only be mined by utilizing the subconscious mind. Drawing is the honesty of the art. There is no possibility of cheating. It is either good or bad. (S. Dali)

And is not knowledge a drawing, where once painted there is no possibility of cheating ourselves or others? A lesson taught us by Dali.