On June 10, 1982, the art dealer Gala Dali (born Elena Diakonova) passed away. Known to the world as the Salvador Dali Wife, she was far more than just a spouse. She was also the producer and main Dali Muse, inspiring countless works. Dali and Gala’s relationship was a cornerstone of his artistic career, and he dedicated many pieces to her. After Gala’s death, the artist fell into depression, became seriously ill, and could no longer paint. Today, we’re telling the story of the pivotal role Elena Diakonova, the woman behind the legend, played in the surrealist’s life.
Model, art dealer, and artistic agent Gala Dali (Elena Diakonova) was born on August 26, 1894, in Kazan. Information about Gala Dali’s origins primarily comes from her own accounts. In reality, information about her birth in the capital of Tatarstan may not be entirely accurate. In 2003, Spanish filmmakers were shooting a film for the 100th anniversary of Salvador Dali’s birth and came to Kazan, seeking to understand the early life of the future Dali Muse. They found no definitive documentary evidence of the date and place of birth of Elena Diakonova in the National Archives of Tatarstan.
In 1929, Gala, together with her husband, visited the young and then-poor artist Salvador Dalí in Cadaqués. He was 25 years old, Gala was 35. The encounter sparked a passionate connection. The story of Dali and Gala begins with an immediate infatuation, and they married in 1934.
For the sake of Dalí, the woman left not only her husband, but also her 11-year-old daughter Cécile. She had previously had little contact with her daughter, entrusting her upbringing to other people. “Children didn’t really interest me,” Gala said, revealing a complex and sometimes controversial aspect of the Salvador Dali Wife.
She became Dali’s second female model after his younger sister. The artist constantly praised his beloved and was profoundly inspired by her. In turn, Gala took over her husband’s financial affairs and brought him to a decent income. This union between Dali and Gala was not only passionate, but also proved highly beneficial for the artist’s career. They registered their marriage 50 times in each country they visited.
“I love Gala more than my mother, more than my father, more than Picasso, and even more than money,” Dalí said about his wife, illustrating the depth of his devotion to the Dali Muse.
The artist dedicated dozens of paintings to Gala, including “Madonna of Port Lligat,” “The Last Supper,” “Galarina,” “Christ-Gala,” and “Atomic Leda.” In all the canvases, she is depicted with a straight posture, a stern look, and a slight smile. The author often painted Gala in the center of religious motifs – critics associate this with Dalí’s near-obsessive attitude towards the Salvador Dali Wife.
In the 1930s, Gala mastered the professions of producer and agent. Soon after the marriage, the couple moved to Paris, where Dalí painted pictures, and his wife was engaged in their promotion. The relationship between Dali and Gala transformed into a powerful partnership. Thanks to her, the patronage society “Zodiac” appeared in Paris, which paid Dalí good fees.
When the artist’s paintings were not ordered for a long time, Gala forced him to come up with product brands and costume sketches. The strong nature of his wife greatly helped the weak-willed artist earn money and remain competitive.
In addition, Gala herself participated in the creation of paintings – in 1939, a large installation “The Dream of Venus” by the Dalí couple was presented at the World Exhibition in New York. The entrance to the pavilion was made in the form of female legs, and inside, next to Dalí’s paintings, there were live models.
Like many Europeans in those years, Gala considered it normal to have affairs on the side. Because of this, she often quarreled with her husband, but there was no talk of parting. In 1968, Dalí bought a Gothic-style castle in the small village of Púbol (province of Girona) for Gala. Before transferring the castle to his wife, the artist restored it and painted the walls. Without the prior written permission of his wife, he could not visit her home.
In the last years of her life, Gala was sick and became increasingly frail. In her diary, she wrote that the day of her death would be the happiest day of her life. It came on June 10, 1982, in Spain, when Gala was 88 years old. The woman bequeathed to be buried in her castle in Púbol.
