What's up with Dalí?
why am I not a fan of Salvador Dalí?
This needs to be updated — I have much more information to offer.
I will translate correspondence for and of Salvador Dalí in /prieto. However, I make my slight reluctance for him clear. Why?
“Dalí did not care about Lorca.” I often hear this sentiment from minds like mine, who are too invested in art history, claming that Dalí actually disliked Lorca or thought of him as naive. Am I going to propagate this sentiment? No, not at all. But I do mean to shed light to the fact that Dalí wasn't all perfume and roses.
The relationship Dalí and Lorca shared was undeniably strange, to say the least. From the evidence of their letters, they both played and flirted with each other neverendingly. And Dalí, even as a supposedly heterosexual man, did somewhat reciprocate Lorca's flirty advances. What is clear from the start is that at least Lorca is in love with Dalí, and terribly so. Lorca wrote an ode to Dalí, called him all sorts of endearing nicknames in their letters, joked about taking their relationship up a notch. Not once did Dalí complain or show any sort of defiance.
In fact, despite his usual demeanor, Dalí grew to be quite sweet and affectionate with Lorca. He also wrote lovely texts to him, expressing how much he wanted to be in Lorca's company and how much he admired him. That, mixed with the fact that the painter did not show any interest in women at the time, evidently opened up the gates for a hopeful, love-stricken Lorca to think that he had a chance.
Two major reasons, aside from this obvious leading-on that Dalí did, are why I personally think the surrealist was rather toxic:
1. Their falling out. Because yes, Lorca and Dalí's friendship did eventually end. In 1928, more specifically. But it wasn't due to anything "natural", per se. No; instead, Dalí (and one other mutual friend of theirs, Buñuel) decided to criticize one of Lorca's best books, Romancero Gitano. He didn't like it, as he was a surrealist and the text differed from his preferences. Now, advising other artist friends wasn't unusual in Dalí and Lorca's generation, and they both had sent each other pieces or drafts of their work at some point. But Dalí decided to be unnecessarily harsh, which left Lorca feeling attacked. Dalí said, about Romancero Gitano:
"Your poetry is tied by the hands and feet to old poetry. You, perhaps think of some images as daring, or will find an increased dose of irrationality in your things, but I can tell you that your poetry moves inside the illustration of the most stereotyped and conforming common places."
This obviously did not sit well with Lorca. It didn't sit well with Lorca that Dalí and Buñuel were now working on two movies together, either — it felt to Lorca that both of his friends were suddenly against him. After a bit more bickering, they gradually began distancing and eventually ceased all communication.
Dalí had always been quite of a blunt person in those terms, often criticizing others in his letters to Lorca. The issue laid wherein that, particularly. He always criticized others, never Lorca. Never once until then had Dalí shown anything else that wasn't affection towards his poet friend. And now suddenly, he and a mutual companion were "ganging" up on Federico. I personally can see why Lorca was hurt and taken aback by this.
2. Second reason — Their sexual "incident". Yes, there was sex involved. Now, I must get one fact out of the way before I share this: Dalí was a voyeur. In fact, the painter has always been quite open about his sexual preferences, even making reference to his taste for sadomasochism in some interviews.
Where does Lorca fit into all of this? Well, Dalí — even as he knew that Lorca was an exclusively homosexual man — persuaded Lorca into having sex with Margarita Manso, a female Spanish painter from their generation, for his own pleasure. Yes, he coaxed Lorca into having sex with a woman in front of him.
Now, I say "coaxed" not because Dalí pressured Lorca or brilliantly manipulated in some way; but because I think that Dalí took advantage of Lorca in a subtler way.
Dalí knew very well Lorca was in love with him. Strong, unyielding love. He even admitted it in interviews — saying that "everyone knew" that Lorca had a thing for him back then — and so, obviously, it wouldn't be hard to convince his friend to give in to his whims. Lorca was enamored. He couldn't say no; and he didn't! The act actually happened, and Lorca never touched another woman after that.
So, in short:
Did Dalí knowingly take advantage of Lorca? Yes, undeniably.
Did Dalí knowingly lead Lorca on? Yes, undeniably.
Was Dalí a generally bad and toxic influence towards Lorca? Yes, undeniably.
Did Dalí love, appreciate and admire Lorca? Yes, undeniably.
I do wholeheartedly believe Dalí loved Lorca. As a friend? Definitely. As more than a friend? Maybe. Perhaps he felt the need to hide his feelings and spontaneously cut Lorca off because homosexuality was punished back then. Perhaps he did it because he felt ashamed. Perhaps the voyeurism act was really just a way for him to have his fantasies be closer.
I also wholeheartedly believe Dalí was in the wrong. Regardless of the reason, he shouldn't have acted the way he did.
So, there you have it! A comprehensive (hopefully) text on the light and darkness of the Lorca-Dalí relationship. :)
Sources: On their falling out On Dalí's voyeurism