The mountains use a combination of light and darkness mixed with color rather than only black to create this style. This stresses the amount of sunlight that is shown in the landscape, reflecting off of other interacting objects. The ground is primarily solid brown, with vivid black shadows overpowering the landscape. The melting one uses a great deal of color on the face, while the watch with the ants draws attention to the insects covering it. The watches on the brown cube have detailed shading on and around them, and use color to shade and give a shiny effect. The brown object also uses shading to get this effect. On the tree, the values are implied to create the illusion of bark, while the limp clock it is holding on its branch uses value to create a tarnished and three dimensional effect. Thick values highlight details and color, giving a three dimensional illusion to this piece. The shadows in Dali’s Persistence of Memory are the heart and soul of the piece, creating a universe that has never been seen before.

The lines that he does show usually complement the dark shadows of his surrealist landscape.The values and shading in this painting are very drawn out and detailed. He does not leave many visible sketch marks in this painting, so it is not clear or easy to distinguish his lines from shading. The lines on the platform and brown object are straight and symmetric. The use of lines also improve the realistic look of the reflection of the mountains in the water. The lines that make up the watches are so detailed that they even show each number on the faces. He also makes everything detailed down to the very last ant on the bronze watch. On the white figure Dali uses different lengths and widths to create individuality in each lash. The lines on the mountains are noticeable, and give them a rough realistic approach. Most of the painting contains lines that are relatively thin and similar in width, with the exception of the mountains, and the eyelashes of the white figure. The lines that Dali uses in the painting vary on the shape which he is working with. The rest of the scenery around the white figure is dark and barren.The Persistence of Memory uses the basic elements of art including a plethora of lines, values, shapes, form, colors, and texture (Glatstein). The white figure has no limbs or other human-like characteristics. Its nose is flared and has another small brown object coming out of the right nostril. It has a what looks to be a trade mark Salvador Dali moustache and lips where eyebrows would be on a human face. The white figure is human-like, with over emphasized large eyelashes. On it lies a white figure on its right side with another silver-colored melting clock on its back. Unlike the other clocks, this is shut, and the only one that is not warped or melted of the four.The ground in The Persistence of Memory is a dark brown that almost turns black in certain areas. The exterior of the pocket watch is covered with a swarm of black ants. The other pocket watch is bronze and shut. The fly is also casting a very small shadow, which is shaped more like a human. The hands of the gold watch are stopped at five of seven and there is a fly on the face near the 1 o’clock mark. One of them is gold and melted, hanging half way off the light brown cube. On this object there are two more pocket watches residing.

The brown object takes over the bottom left corner of the painting, and even goes off the canvas. The tree is located on top of a light brown square object that looks desk-like. Only one hand of the watch is shown, pointing at the 6. The single branch holds a silver pocket watch which appears to be melting on the end of the branch showing the numbers three through nine. A lifeless tree with a hollow top, is in front of it, missing all of its leaves and branches but one. Placed in front of this platform, there is another single pebble. In front of the mountains there is lone pebble.On the left close to the water, Dali places a reflective, blue, elevated, rectangular platform with dark brown trimming around the edges.

The persistence of memory analysis