Christ of Saint John of the Cross

Painted in 1951, this is one of Salvador Dalí's most famous religious works, and it shows Christ on the cross from a striking angle we rarely get to see. Instead of looking up at the figure, we hover above it, gazing down at Christ as he floats over a quiet bay. There is no blood, no crown of thorns, no nails driving through flesh. Dalí chose to leave out the usual signs of suffering, wanting to show something peaceful and almost cosmic instead. The dramatic perspective came to him in a dream, and he later said it represented the very unity of the universe, with Christ at its center.

The title nods to a small drawing made by the 16th-century Spanish mystic Saint John of the Cross, which inspired Dalí's unusual downward view. Down below, the calm fishing boats and shoreline are based on Port Lligat, the seaside spot in Spain where Dalí lived and worked. The painting blends his classical skill with the strange, dreamlike quality he was known for as a Surrealist. When it was first shown in Glasgow, some critics grumbled about the price the museum paid for it, but the public loved it, and it remains a crowd favorite to this day.