Salvador Dalí

Hans Christian Andersen tales – The Sandman

Dutch author Hans Christian Andersen (1805 – 1875) is renowned for publishing more than 150 literary fairy tales. In 1966 Salvador Dalí created 10 illustrations to celebrate some of the tales.

First published in 1841, The Sandman tells a story about a mythical being that puts children to sleep and depending on whether they have been good or bad, bestows on them good or bad dreams. Dalí’s The Sandman artwork sets the scene at night, with the intimidating Sandman hovering over the land. Dalí was fascinated by dreams and used imagery presented to him during dreams in all aspects of his waking life, including creating many artworks based on his fantasies.