The pig is a recurring motif in surrealist art. It is often used to represent lust, gluttony and animality.
Salvador Dali is one of the surrealist artists best known for using pigs in his art. In his painting "Faust - Woman with a Pig" (1969), a man sits at a table with a woman who has the face of a pig. The woman is dressed in a rich red garment and holds an apple in her hand. The man is dressed in a black suit and is holding a glass of wine. The painting is a representation of lust and gluttony.
Another notable example of a surrealist pig is the painting "La Bonne Fortune" by René Magritte, created in 1945. It is on display at the Royal Museums of Fine Arts of Belgium in Brussels. The painting depicts a pig dressed as a man, in a look full of innuendo, posted in front of tombs. The painting is a representation of the absurdity of life. The pig, symbol of gluttony and lust, is associated with death, symbol of the end of everything. This juxtaposition of incongruous elements creates an effect of shock and surprise.
It is also to Magritte that our illustration of the surrealist era pays homage, his painting The Art of Living is one of the masterpieces of surrealism, deliciously absurd and so intelligently offbeat. From the Art of Living to Lard de Vivre, there is only one step, that of a pig's trotter.
The pig is a popular animal in surrealist art. It is often used as a symbol of instinct, lust and filth. Surrealist artists liked to juxtapose the pig with unexpected objects and situations, creating an effect of strangeness and shock.
"A slice of bacon is simple, right? A slice of fatty meat, cut in two. But what about a surreal slice of bacon? Imagine a slice of bacon that talks. Or sings. Or dancing. Imagine a slice of bacon that is in fact a painting by Magritte. Or a sculpture by Jeff Koons. Or a poem by Jacques Prévert. The surrealist slice of bacon is a slice of bacon that defies all laws of reality. It's a slice of bacon that makes us laugh, that makes us think, that makes us ask ourselves questions.
