Reina Sofía Lends Dalí Screen to His Hometown

Published on January 23, 2026 | Translated from Spanish
Decorative screen painted by Salvador Dalí in his early years, shown in a well-lit exhibition room.

The Reina Sofía Lends a Dalí Screen to His Hometown

A Madrid cultural institution, the National Museum Centro de Arte Reina Sofía, has decided to temporarily lend a creation by Salvador Dalí to the Figueres town hall in Girona. The piece, a screen painted in the early 1920s, will be on view at the Dalí Birthplace starting March 26. This move brings a little-known work to the environment where the painter grew up, strengthening the connection between the museum and the Empordà town 🎨.

A Key Piece from the Formative Period

This screen corresponds to the period when Dalí was training, before joining the surrealist circle. These early paintings are fundamental to understanding how his technique and personal visual universe evolved. The work, kept until now by the Reina Sofía, reveals the artistic interests that the genius explored before consolidating his iconic style. Exhibiting it in Figueres allows the public to approach the master's origins.

Details about the work and its context:
  • The piece is a decorative screen, a household object.
  • It was painted in the early years of the 1920s, during Dalí's youth.
  • It remained under the custody of the Reina Sofía before this loan.
This temporary loan enriches the city's cultural offerings and underscores the willingness of institutions to collaborate in disseminating artistic heritage.

The Birthplace Expands Its Narrative

Installing this screen in Dalí's Birthplace helps place it within the artist's family and geographical context. The Figueres museum space, which already manages the Dalí Theatre-Museum, thus incorporates a new perspective on the painter's beginnings. This collaboration enriches the local exhibition discourse.

Impact of the exhibition:
  • It contextualizes the work in the direct environment where Dalí was born and spent his early years.
  • It provides a complementary perspective to the Dalí Theatre-Museum's offerings.
  • It strengthens institutional ties between Madrid and Figueres.

A Symbolic Return

The screen, originally conceived to divide spaces in a home, makes a symbolic return journey to a house. On this occasion, its function is not to separate, but to connect Salvador Dalí's creative past with the place that saw him born, completing a vital circle to understand his legacy 🖼️.