Surrealism is an artistic and literary movement that was born in the 20s of the last century, if we speak art, its greatest representatives are certainly Magritte, Dalí, and Max Ernst. What do these artists have in common? They have created works that force viewers to look beyond, and not just what the eye initially sees. Robert Gonsalves is a contemporary artist who embraces surrealism and whose paintings force one to look beyond, carefully observe images and seek a reality that is not immediately visible. In his works, reality and imagination merge, and a single painting contains at least two different scenes. The end result is a magical and almost exotic atmosphere: the clouds are also boats, the beds are also carpets of snow, the rooms become a forest. Before telling you the story of this artist, let us show you 15 paintings and their extraordinary illusions.
#1. A unique house.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
On the left it looks like it was built on a tree, on the right, no. A painting with two harmonious scenes.
#2. The trees merge with the sky.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
#3. The sky and the sea.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
Are they swimming underwater or in the sky? It is the magic of painting.
#4. Looks like clouds.
image credit: Hichem Hbm/Facebook
Then it appears that the clouds are also the sails of the boat and that the boats form an imposing structure.
#5. Looks like the sky.
image credit: Kai Klein / Facebook
But maybe it is also the earth?
#6. A layer of snow covering the streets.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
But also a bed to sleep in.
#7. Look at the boats.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
Are they in the water or above the canopy of trees?
#8. A library.
image credit: 10 & 10/Facebook
Or maybe a city from above?
#9. A path made of cobblestones and houses.
image credit: Poemoda/Facebook
#10. A labyrinth.
image credit: Edgaras Neverdauskas / Facebook
#11. They fly.
image credit: Edgaras Neverdauskas / Facebook
But they also jump on the bed.
#12. Looks like windows.
image credit: Edgaras Neverdauskas / Facebook
But on the right, we begin to distinguish figures.
#13. Where do the bikes rest?
image credit: Edgaras Neverdauskas / Facebook
#14. What if the sky was made of balloons?
image credit: Edgaras Neverdauskas / Facebook
#15. The girls of the lake.
image credit: Beatrice Impronta / Facebook
Robert started painting when he was only 12 years old, with an interest in perspective, then he studied architecture and became interested in surrealist art , magical realism and finally the illusions of perspective of Escher, elements that we find today in his scenes. All are suspended between realism and magic : in many works, the main characters are children and the scenes seem to be a projection of the children’s imagination. Gonsalves himself speaks of “a childhood made of dreams and drawings”. What is your favorite work?