‘Dear Salvador, Dear Lorquito’ is a book by journalist Víctor Fernández that collects the love letters between Dalí and Lorca.
The relationship between Dalí and Lorca had a touch of erotism. They lived their own Brokeback Mountain in a confined Spain that one day imprisoned homosexuals for their immorality and the next one looked to the other side (as long as they did not make noise). They exchanged love letters between 1923 and 1936, writings that have been compiled in a book: Dear Salvador, Dear Lorquito.
Historical context
Between 1923 and 1930, Spain lived under Miguel Primo de Rivera fascist dictatorship. Its ideology implied the exaltation of the homeland, Catholicism and virility. That is, two men kissing faced losing their jobs and being imprisoned. When Spanish Second Republic was proclaimed in 1931, any law punishing homosexuality was abolished. However, society was still homophobic.
This little first step was annulled with Franco’s victory in the Spanish Civil War and the instauration of his dictatorship. The consequence, forty years of repression against any homosexual, feminist or red attitude that clashed with the morals of the regime.
Dear Salvador, Dear Lorquito
In the middle of this political chaos, two geniuses fall in love. This story is reflected in the letters that form Dear Salvador, dear Lorquito. Many of those documents have been lost forever. Dalí’s sister sold much of the material linked to her brother after the Civil War, which included many of Lorca’s texts. In addition Gala, Dali’s wife, didn’t like her husband flirting with the poet. Thus, she destroyed much of the correspondence. Only seven letters survived in front of the quarantine of which Dalí sent him to Lorca.
By the way, from 4 August to 14 October, the MNAC hosts the Gala Salvador Dalí exhibition. 180 pieces that reconstruct the life of this complex artist beyond his role as muse of the surrealist genius. Here you can buy the tickets.
The surrealist genius never denied his feelings. In a letter published by newspaper El País in 1986, he spoke about “an erotic and tragic love since I cannot share it”. In one of their letters, Dalí would dedicate to Lorca these words: ‘You are a Christian storm and you need my paganism (…) It will be winter and we’ll light a fire. Poor beasts will get stiff from cold. You’ll remember you are an inventor and we’ll live together with a portraiter machine’.
“Federico tried to give me in the ass”
This a story of clandestine love, but also of two intellectuals who admired, taught and provoke each other. They even worked together in Lorca’s play Mariana Pineda using Dalí’s scenery. The poet proposed Dalí having anal sex in several occasions. He accepted with a condition: his colleague had to sleep with painter Margarita Manso. No sooner said than done.
Now was Dali’s turn. In 1927, during a trip to Cadaqués he refused to fulfill his part. He explained the situation to his friend and writer Max Aub: “It is known that Federico is in love with me. He tried to fuck me in the ass twice. I’m not a faggot, that heart. I canceled it immediately and the situation stayed in a purely platonic thing.
After this episode, they took different ways. Salvador Dalí began to collaborate with Luis Buñuel to create two of the most important movies in Spanish cinema history: An Andalusian Dog (1929) and The Golden Age(1930). In fact, Lorca took offence with the first title. “It is a shit and the Andalusian dog is me”; he declared.
“We are twin souls”
In 1930 Salvador Dalí tried to rip off Lorca’s parents. The poet would got back in touch with him by writing “I really liked the failed scam to my family and it’s a pity they did not send you the money. If being told before, I’d have sent you cash” They met five years later during a visit to Barcelona. In one of the interviews, Lorca affirmed “We are twin souls. Here the evidence: seven years have passed without seeing each other and we have coincided in everything as if we had been talking every day”.
“Olé”
The Spanish Civil War began and Lorca’s life was in danger. The embassies of Mexico and Colombia offered him political asylum, his environment highly recommended him abandoning the country. He refused. Instead of going into exile, he returned Granada to join the family. He was welcomed by his friend, poet Luis Rosales. On August 16, 1936 the authorities broke into the house to arrest him for being a spy of Russians, being in touch with them by radio and being homosexual. Two days later, he was executed by firearm.
Dalí always felt responsible for the fate of his friend. He accused himself for not insisting him enough to travel together to Italy in 1936. When bad news arrived, he only uttered a word to resume his admiration to the courage of the poet: Olé. After the conflict, he would become obsessed with Lorca to the point of painting his face in his artpieces.
In November 1988 Dalí was admitted due to heart failure. They say that in the agony of his illness, the only intelligible thing he could say was “El Meu Amic Lorca” (my friend Lorca). He died on January 23, 1989 listening to his favorite album, Tristan and Isolde, by Richard Wagner.