This oil painting formed part of Dalí’s second solo exhibition in the Galerías Dalmau,Barcelona (31 December 1926 - 14 January 1927). We note the figure of the musicianwith his shadow and recognise in it the influence exerted on Dalí by the work of Picasso. Some have suggested that the figure represents the Spanish poet Federico García Lorca. This is a geometrical work in the Cubist style, strongly marked by the influence of Metaphysical painting, a movement that Dalí followed closely during these years when his work was constantly changing and evolving. The Metaphysical school arose in Italy and is closely associated with the name of Giorgio de Chirico (1888-1978). Among its defining characteristics are perspective effects, depersonalised figures with the heads of tailor’s dummies, the atmospheric use of shadows, the dramatic intensity of the scenes presented and a dream-like ambience—features subsequently imitated by the Surrealists. The basic colours are combined with their complementary tones, thus ensuring a chromatic and structural equilibrium
