(Credit: Phyllis Cerf / Wikimedia Commons)
Over the past couple hundred years, Russia has spawned an impressive stream of literary figures. The gigantic Eurasian country boasts some of the finest minds in modern philosophy and storytelling, from Fyodor Dostoevsky and Leo Tolstoy to Boris Pasternak and Vladimir Nabokov. In the 20th century, Russian-American writer and philosopher Ayn Rand followed a similar path to eminence as Nabokov.
Like the esteemed Lolita author, Rand was born in St. Petersberg but found a foothold in her literary exploits in the US. Like many great Russian-born novelists before her, she exercised her philosophies through the engaging and subtly rhetorical medium of fictional text. The late author has become increasingly associated with the feminist movement, but her philosophies were often more individualistic.
Rand’s central philosophy was Objectivism, which values reason, individualism and capitalism. Remarkably driven and self-sufficient, the Russian immigrant saw the results of hard work and aligned her outlook accordingly. She believed that each individual should be in control of their own happiness in an environment of free enterprise. As far as Rand was concerned, unfettered capitalism was the way forward, putting her in stark opposition to Russia’s communist setup.
Rand’s most famous novels are The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, both of which explore her ideas surrounding individualism, integrity, and the role of the individual in society. While her literature resonated with conservatives in the US, she only aligned with their political outlooks and capitalist enthusiasm. She disagreed with them on most religious and ethical grounds.
The creative arts and capitalism are intrinsically linked but have a complex love-hate relationship. Rand was a marriage of the two, which made for captivating reading. Today, we’re taking a look at the literary icon’s favourite art piece. One might expect architectural Bauhaus-type inclinations from this practical-minded woman, but her tastes were somewhat surreal.
As it happens, Rand proclaimed her all-time favourite art piece as Crucifixion (Corpus Hypercubus), a prominent work by the celebrated Spanish surrealist Salvador Dalí. Not quite as famous as his melting clocks and lobster telephones, this oil painting depicts the crucifixion of Jesus Christ through a modern lens, with a cubic, bechristed cross floating above a tiled floor.
Since Rand was a progressive atheist, her enjoyment of this Christian iconography may come as a surprise. Yet, she would spend hours staring at the painting at the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York City. Allegedly, she saw a profound connection between John Galt’s spiritual battles in Atlas Shrugged and Dalí’s surreal depiction of Christ.
