21
Salvador Dalí
Head of Dante
- Estimate
- $30,000 - 50,000
$40,000
Lot Details
Patinated bronze, 18k gold-plated sterling silver and black marble base,
1964
15 1/2 x 8 1/2 x 8 in. (39.4 x 21.6 x 20.3 cm)
with incised signature, date `1964' and numbered II/VI (there were also 3 artist's proofs numbered EA 1 to 3, all on different bases), published by Alfred Wolkenberg, Editions Les Maîtres, Ltd., New York (with stamp and copyright date), with the collaboration of sculptress Christine Forani, who provided technical assistance with the execution of Dali’s concept, with original wood travelling case, including a photo-certificate for this edition number signed in ink by the artist and publisher on April 20, 1965.
Specialist
Full-Cataloguing
Catalogue Essay
The head was conceived by Dali as an homage to Dante for the 700th anniversary of his birth, following the just finished 100 wood engravings for the Divine Comedy suites. The face was sculpted to represent heaven (the right profile), hell (the left profile), and purgatory (the front view). The group of golden spoons are bent and intertwined to surround the forehead as his laurel wreath.
Provenance
Exhibited
Literature
Salvador Dalí
Spanish | B. 1904 D. 1989Salvador Dalí was perhaps the most broadly known member of the Surrealist movement of the early twentieth century. Heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud, the avant-garde style explored consciousness and dream-like states through exaggerated landscapes and bizarre or grotesque imagery. Using the means of painting, sculpture, printmaking, film and literature, Dalí explored these ideas with a meticulous hand and inventive wit. Although known for his role in Surrealism, Dalí was also a seminal example of celebrity showmanship and the cult of personality, a phenomenon that dominates popular culture today. Always a colorful and flamboyant presence with his signature cape, wide-eyed expression and trademark upturned waxed mustache, Dalí was a master of self-promotion and spectacle.
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