1960s Salvador Dali the Divine Comedy Purgatory #24 Woodblock Art Print Hand Signed

Description

La Divine Comedie - Le Purgatoire

(The Divine Comedy - French Edition)
Chant 24 - "L' Arbre du Chatiment"

Illustration … more La Divine Comedie - Le Purgatoire

(The Divine Comedy - French Edition)
Chant 24 - "L' Arbre du Chatiment"

Illustration by DALI
"The Divine Comedy"
Illustrated by DALI
This Illustration by Dali can be found in "Dante's Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri
One of Italy's Greatest writers, Illustrated by one of Spain's greatest painters.
DANTE Alighieri was born in 1265, and died in 1321

Salvador DALI was born in 1904, and died in 1989
Despite the fact that he was born almost 600 years after DANTE'S death, the work of the great surrealist painter fits so well with the great writer's work that one might almost believe them to be contemporaries. DALI seems to have painted his representation of each canto as DANTE was writing, as if he was looking over his shoulder.
The DIVINE COMEDY is the major work of Italian literature. It was written by DANTE Alighieri between 1307 and 1321.
The work is divided into three parts (Hell, Purgatory, and Heaven), and comprises 100 CANTOS.
DANTE, lost in the dark forest of sin, explores hell, purgatory and heaven in his attempt to find GOD. VIRGIL, the great Latin poet, guides him through hell and purgatory. Finally, the sweet and virtuous BEATRICE welcomes him to heaven, where SAINT BERNARD leads him to GOD.During his voyage, DANTE meets mythological characters, each of whom personifies a sin or a virtue, and describes their punishments and rewards.
HISTORY OF THE WORK

In 1957, DALI was approached by the Italian government to illustrate the DIVINE COMEDY. A contract was signed, and DALI set to work. The entire work rrequired more than 3,500 carved wood blocks.
In 1958, a new government was elected in Italy, which objected to the idea of entrusting the illustration of the DIVINE COMEDY to a foreign artist. As a result, DALI contacted two Parisian publishers, Joseph FORET and Jean ESTRADE, and jumped on an aeroplane. A new contract was signed, ensuring that one of the most beautiful works illustrated by DALI would in fact be French!

"L' Arbre du Chatiment"
Pencil Hand Signed marked EA
framed
Image Size: 11" x 8"
Frame Size: 19" x 16"
Custom Frame
Condition : Excellent
Certificate of Authenticity & appraisal is included



Salvador Dali

1904-1989, Spain.

Dali attended the Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid.He devoured philosophical works and Freud, and he discovered Cubism, Futurism and Metaphysical Arts in magazines.He had one-man shows in Barcelona in 1925 and in Madrid in 1926.He harmonized the example of Gris, de Chirico and Carra with the refined methods of the Old Masters.Sometime during 1928 Dali made a brief excursion to Paris, where he met Picasso.Andre Breton, Surrealism's central figure, appointed him an official Surrealist.Within a short time Dali was to become the movement's most spectacular exponent.In his art he has succeeded in achieving the synthesis of what Andre Breton called a retrograde craft with the most extreme inventions of modern culture.His graphic oeuvre comprises etchings and lithographs, which have evolved parallel to his paintings.

Dali illustrated Dante's Divine Comedy with 101 wood engravings.The poem recounts the tale of the poet's journey through Hell and Purgatory guided by Virgil.After repenting his faults, he is joined by Beatrice for the final leg of the journey through Paradise to receive a glimpse of God.Dali often equated Gala, his wife and inspiration, with Dante's Beatrice.Like Dali, Dante's symbolism is complex but highly rational.Both men had a keen knowledge of scientific studies in geology, optics and mathematics.Dali's Divine Comedy will go down in the history of art as a work of the artist's prime years, the early 1950's. less