Salvador Dali was a man of contradictions. Around the end of WWII, he surprisingly converted to Catholicism and started using overtly Christian themes in his surrealist paintings. But at the same time, the genesis of the atomic age and the bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki gave Dali a morbid fascination with nuclear science.
You might think Catholicism and nuclear science don't go together—but who better than surrealist Salvador Dali to bridge the gap? It was the convergence of these two seemingly incompatible themes that inspired his 1954 painting Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus).
History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.
Anyone who's gone down the physics rabbit hole knows that things quickly become extremely abstract. Case in point: Physicists will talk about extra dimensions, but how the heck is that supposed to work? We live in a three-dimensional world, so when you hear some egghead talking about a "four-dimensional hypercube," you can be forgiven if it breaks your brain.
One way mathematicians might try to help explain a hypercube is by using a "net." If you unfold a cube made of paper, you'll get a "net" of six squares. Simple so far, right? Well, here's where the brain breaks. If the net of a 3D cube is six squares, the net of a 4D cube is...eight cubes.
If I've lost you, don't worry: I'm lost too. But this is where Dali comes in.
As Dali grew more and more obsessed with nuclear science, he couldn't help but notice similarities to his newfound faith. No matter how hard you try, it's impossible for our three-dimensional minds to really grasp a four-dimensional hypercube. While pondering such topics, Dali couldn't help but consider the transcendental nature of God, an idea debated by philosophers and theologians for millennia.
This is how Dali came to paint Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus). Jesus's cross becomes the unfolded net of a four-dimensional hypercube. Just as the net helps us understand the incomprehensible hypercube, Jesus, a man, helps us understand an incomprehensible God.
Science and religion may seem contradictory, but when you push both to their limit, you unavoidably face similar questions. Lots of people throughout history have come to this conclusion, but few have ever been able to represent the convergence better than Dali and Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus).
My mom never told me how her best friend died. Years later, I was using her phone when I made an utterly chilling discovery.
Madame de Pompadour was the alluring chief mistress of King Louis XV, but few people know her dark history—or the chilling secret shared by her and Louis.
I tried to get my ex-wife served with divorce papers. I knew that she was going to take it badly, but I had no idea about the insane lengths she would go to just to get revenge and mess with my life.
Catherine of Aragon is now infamous as King Henry VIII’s rejected queen—but few people know her even darker history.
Dear reader,
Want to tell us to write facts on a topic? We’re always looking for your input! Please reach out to us to let us know what you’re interested in reading. Your suggestions can be as general or specific as you like, from “Life” to “Compact Cars and Trucks” to “A Subspecies of Capybara Called Hydrochoerus Isthmius.” We’ll get our writers on it because we want to create articles on the topics you’re interested in. Please submit feedback to contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your time!
Do you question the accuracy of a fact you just read? At Factinate, we’re dedicated to getting things right. Our credibility is the turbo-charged engine of our success. We want our readers to trust us. Our editors are instructed to fact check thoroughly, including finding at least three references for each fact. However, despite our best efforts, we sometimes miss the mark. When we do, we depend on our loyal, helpful readers to point out how we can do better. Please let us know if a fact we’ve published is inaccurate (or even if you just suspect it’s inaccurate) by reaching out to us at contribute@factinate.com. Thanks for your help!
Warmest regards,
The Factinate team
If you like humaverse you may also consider subscribing to these newsletters: