El Salvador was given sculptures with descriptions. "Authentic Sculptures" by Salvador Dali? Symbols of the Universe by Salvador Dali
Surrealism has always had a hard time in the two dimensions of painting. Dali is undoubtedly a painter. But from time to time, he also needed to create three-dimensional models of his complex images in order to better understand his own idea and the way it was embodied on canvas.
The master worked exclusively with wax, since he himself never considered his sculptures as independent works. The world learned about Dali the sculptor only thanks to the collector Isidre Klot, who bought his wax models from the master and ordered bronze castings from them. The sculptures presented to the public created a sensation in the art world. Many sculptures were subsequently enlarged many times and adorned not only museum collections, but also the squares of many cities.
In terms of content, absolutely all of Dali's sculptures are a plastic embodiment of images that are well known from his paintings. Due to the volume, many images have acquired additional expressiveness and aesthetic sound.
Adam and Eve
The work is a composition of the figures of the Ancestors, as well as the Serpent, curved in the form of a heart. In this figured loop, Eve gives an apple to Adam. The author interprets the biblical story as the knowledge of the joys of carnal love through a criminal sin, attractive and desirable.
The figures of people look somewhat generalized, they are devoid of individual features, which is undoubtedly done consciously. The serpent, on the contrary, is made carefully and precisely. The center of the composition is clearly marked with an apple from the tree of Knowledge. Bronze made it possible to designate accents, highlighting them with color. The serpent is done in golden colors, and the apple - a perfect sphere - is mirror polished and looks almost mother-of-pearl.
Time Profile
One of the artist's favorite images is a plastic, flowing clock. Dali has several similar sculptures. The time profile is the most famous of all. The phenomenon of time is especially important for surrealist artists who perceive time as an indispensable attribute of all their subjects, mysterious, complex and obscure. The transience, illusory nature and elusiveness of time are the subject of the author's close attention.
Saint George and the Dragon
The classic plot in the interpretation of the author looks a little different than we are used to seeing it. The iconic symbol of the Saint on horseback slaying the Dragon is complemented by a small figure of a woman, standing somewhat at a distance, who raised her hand, welcoming the feat of George. The author thus reminds of those for whom the feat was accomplished, of the lady in whose name the knights perform all their feats, of love and protection of the weak. The artist pushes the boundaries of the classical plot, makes the viewer reconsider their attitude to the classics.
Space Venus
The world-famous forms of ancient Venus in Dali's work are somewhat changed, modernized, eroticized. The sculpture is complemented by details that embody the idea of the author. The first detail is the "current clock", designed to remind the viewer of the variability of people's tastes and aesthetic ideas. The second detail - a golden egg - a symbol of the great destiny of a woman - to give life. The symbols of the eternal and the passing are united in the work. The author ironically over the variability of human tastes, contrasting them with the eternal and constant wisdom of nature.
Perseus
In this case, the author turns to mythology, moreover, he uses the famous statue of Cellini as a model. In the sculpture of the great surrealist, Perseus is depicted schematically, the details are not worked out. The face is completely missing. The head of the Gorgon is also very schematic. In its content, the work is an interpretation of the content of the myth. The hero killed the Gorgon, destroying with a glance, only because he himself managed to get rid of the face, the most vulnerable place.
Today in Europe there are more than three hundred sculptures. Most of them are the third and fourth copies, cast in the original molds of the collector Klot. The original sculptures are kept in his private collection.
From May 25, an exhibition of bronze sculptures by the most famous surrealist Salvador Dali opens in Erarta. The gallery brought a collection of Beniamino Levi, a friend and patron of Dali. It was he who offered the artist to cast fantasy images from his paintings in bronze. We tell you what to see in the exhibition and how to understand the artist's works.
"Adam and Eve"
One of the earliest (among the presented) works. On paper, the original was made in gouache in 1968, and the sculpture was cast in 1984. Dali portrays the most dramatic moment in Eden: Eve offers Adam a taste of the forbidden fruit. He, not yet knowing how his fall into sin will turn out for mankind, raises his hand in amazement and indecision. Aware of the impending expulsion from paradise, the serpent tries to console the doomed (and soon mortal) people and coils itself into a heart shape, reminding Adam and Eve that they still have love. And it is something whole, which is always greater than the sum of its individual parts.
"Nobility of Time"
One of the most replicated images invented by Dali: the clock is thrown over the branch of a dead tree. The surrealist's time is not linear - it merges with the cosmos. The softness of the watch also hints at the psychological perception of time: when we are bored or uncomfortable, it goes slower. The limp clock no longer shows time, no longer measures its passage. So, the speed of our time depends only on us.
The clock falls on a dead tree, the branches of which have already given birth to new life, and the roots have entwined the stone. The tree trunk also serves as a support for the clock. The term "watch crown" in English also means a mechanical device that allows you to set the hands and wind the watch. But according to Dali's watch, it is invariable - it is impossible to establish it. Without movement, the "crown" becomes royal, which adorns the watch and indicates that time does not serve people, but dominates them. He is accompanied by two recurring fantastic symbols: a contemplating angel and a woman wrapped in a shawl. Time reigns over both art and reality.
"Alice in Wonderland"
Like the heroine of Carroll, Dali, armed with creative imagination, traveled along a difficult and long road in the land of dreams. The artist was attracted by the incredible plot and extravagant characters of the fairy tale. Alice is an eternal child, able to comprehend the absurd logic of both Wonderland and Beyond. In sculpture, her skipping rope has been transformed into a braided cord, symbolizing everyday life. Roses blossomed on her hands and in her hair, personifying female beauty and eternal youth. And the peplum dress is reminiscent of ancient examples of the perfection of form.
"Tribute to fashion"
Dali's relationship with high fashion began in the 1930s through his work with Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Vogue magazine and continued throughout his life. The head of Venus, frozen in the pose of a supermodel, is decorated with roses - a symbol of innocence. Her face is featureless, allowing the fan to imagine the face they wish. He is a "dandy" and stands in front of her on one knee.
"Adoration of Terpsichore"
The muse of dance in the interpretation of Dali creates two mirror images: a soft figure is opposed to a hard and frozen one. The absence of facial features emphasizes the symbolic sound of the composition. The dancer with flowing classical forms represents Grace and the unconscious, while the angular, cubist second figure speaks of the ever-growing and chaotic rhythm of life.
"Snail and Angel"
The sculpture refers to the artist's meeting with Sigmund Freud, whom he considered his spiritual father. Psychoanalytic ideas that influenced Dali in the early stages of the development of surrealism are reflected in many works. The snail, perched on the seat of a bicycle that was not far from Freud's house, struck Dali's imagination. He saw in her a human head - the very founder of psychoanalysis.
Dali was obsessed with the image of a snail, because it contains a paradoxical combination of softness (the body of an animal) with hardness (its shell). Therefore, the generally accepted symbol of idle pastime receives wings from him and easily moves on the waves. And the messenger of the gods, capable of developing unlimited speed, for a short moment sat on the back of a snail, endowing it with the gift of movement.
"Vision of an Angel"
Salvador Dali makes sense of a classic religious image. The thumb from which life arises (tree branches) symbolizes the power and dominion of the Absolute. On the right side of the deity is humanity: a man in the prime of life. On the left side - an angel, symbolizing the spirit of contemplation; his wings rest on a crutch. Although man is united with God, divine knowledge transcends his own.
Original taken from nikolai_endegor in Dali the sculptor
Dali the sculptor differs in many ways from Dali the artist: he is stricter, more concise and, it seemed to me, more realistic, if such an expression is appropriate in relation to surrealism. One gets the feeling that Dali's sculptures are voluminous versions of his paintings, cleared of many details, brought to their logical conclusion and, as it were, raised to the level of generalization of the idea.
Perhaps this is the influence of the density of the real material, which resisted the stormy imagination of the artist, which had previously splashed uncontrollably onto the plane of the canvas. Perhaps the result of reflection and rethinking of his own paintings - and almost all of Dali's sculptures are repetitions and development of motifs that appeared in his drawings and paintings. Perhaps, finally, this is just my subjective impression, formed under the influence of the event and the place - the exhibition of Dali's sculptures in the Erarta Museum in St. Petersburg.
The main hall of the exhibition "Sculptures of Salvador Dali".
Erarta Museum, St. Petersburg
The past St. Petersburg exhibition is a continuation of the journey of Dali sculptures commissioned and assembled by Beniamino Levi, president of the Dali Universe company, a friend of the artist, an expert on his work and a passionate collector of his work. Previously, these sculptures were shown in Paris, Shanghai, Florence, New York, Los Angeles. They were cast in bronze during the life of the artist according to the sketches and wax models he created using the “displacement” method: a ceramic mold was created around the wax model, then the wax was melted and merged, and hot metal was poured into the mold in its place.
Dali Universe also owns the Salvador Dali Center in Montmartre, where the largest exhibition of the artist's sculptures is located. But to be honest, the works presented in the well-organized exhibition in St. Petersburg made a much greater impression on me than those in Paris. Yes, and I have not seen many of the sculptures presented in St. Petersburg in Paris - in Montmartre they are smaller in size, and as if not worked out in such detail.
Snail and Angel, 1980. Based on a 1977 drawing
This sculpture has a special place in Dali's universe, as it refers to the artist's meeting with Sigmund Freud, whom Dali considered his spiritual father. The snail perched on the seat of a bicycle that stood not far from Freud's house struck Dali's imagination. And the snail, the generally accepted symbol of idle pastime, has received wings here and easily moves along the waves. The winged messenger of the gods, for a short moment sat on the back of the snail, endowing it with the gift of movement.
Woman on fire, 1980.
This sculpture combines two constant Dali motifs: fire and a female figure with drawers. The flame seems to take on a life of its own, representing the latent tension of unconscious desire. At the same time, drawers refer to the secret and the hidden. This beautiful woman without a face becomes a symbol of all women, because for Dali, the real beauty of a woman lies in a secret.
"Woman on Fire" refers to one of the artist's early programmatic works, Flaming Giraffe, which was created during the Spanish Civil War.
Flaming giraffe, 1937
In the foreground there is a figure of a woman with her arms outstretched. Both the woman's hands and face are covered in blood. The head, devoid of eyes, is filled with despair and helplessness before the impending catastrophe. Behind the two female figures are crutches-props - a motif that repeatedly appeared later in Dali's works, symbolizing the weaknesses of man.
A jubilant angel, 1984. Based on a 1976 drawing.
Weightless angels, able to overcome the gravity of the Earth, become a lyrical expression of the dream world and Dali's fantasy. The artist once said: "Nothing inspires me like the idea of an angel!". Since the late 40s, when the artist began to weave religious themes into his work, angels often appear in his work. This sculpture depicts an angel with spread wings and thrown back head, playing divine music on a trumpet and conveying a triumphant message to all who hear it.
Tribute to fashion, 1984. Based on gouache original 1974.
Dali's relationship with high fashion began in the 1930s through his work with Coco Chanel, Elsa Schiaparelli and Vogue magazine and continued throughout his life. The head of this amazing Venus, frozen in the pose of a supermodel, is decorated with roses - the most exquisite flowers. Her face is featureless, allowing the fan to imagine the face they wish. On one knee in front of her stood a gentleman, "dandy", paying tribute to this muse of the XX century.
Worshiping Fashion, 1971
Alice in Wonderland, 1984. Based on a 1977 gouache original.
Alice is one of Dali's favorite characters. She is an eternal child, responding to the confusion of the world behind the Looking-Glass with the unshakable naivety of childhood. After meeting with the inhabitants of this fantasy world, she returns to reality not only unharmed, but unchanged. In Dali's sculpture, Alice's jump rope has been transformed into a braided cord, symbolizing everyday life. Her hands and hair bloomed with roses, personifying female beauty and eternal youth.
Prototype drawing, 1977
Adoration of Terpsichore, 1984. Based on a 1977 drawing.
Terpsichore is one of the nine famous mythological muses. Interpreting the image of the muse of dance in his own way, Dali creates two mirror images, opposing a soft and sensual figure to a hard and frozen one. The absence of facial features emphasizes the symbolic sound of the composition. The dancer with flowing classical forms represents Grace and the unconscious, while the angular, cubist second figure speaks of the ever-growing and chaotic rhythm of modern life.
Lady Godiva and butterflies, 1984. Based on a 1976 drawing.
One of the favorite characters of the great master of surrealism was Lady Godiva. By creating this sculpture, Dali glorifies her sensual and feminine image. Butterflies announcing the arrival of Lady Godiva not only hover around her and her noble horse, but also decorate her body while she plays the trumpet. Lady Godiva embodies earthly beauty, while butterflies represent the disembodied other world.
According to medieval legend, the beautiful Lady Godiva was the wife of Count Leofric. The count's subjects suffered from exorbitant taxes, and Godiva unsuccessfully urged her husband to reduce them. Once at a feast, while drunk, Leofric promised to lower taxes if his wife rode naked on a horse through the streets of Coventry. The earl was sure that his condition was impossible, but Lady Godiva took this bold step, putting the interests of her people above personal honor and pride. The inhabitants of the city, loving and respecting their mistress, closed the shutters and doors of their houses on the appointed day, and none of them went out into the street. The count, amazed by his wife's selflessness, kept his word.
Drawing - sculpture prototype
Lady Godiva and butterflies, detail
Space Elephant, 1980
From the story of Benjamin Levy, President of the Dali Universe: “My favorite sculpture is the Space Elephant. It just caused real battles with Dali. He wanted to make the elephant legs with three fingers, like birds. It seemed to me that this was not very the public will like it, that such a solution will not be successful from a commercial point of view. I suggested to Dali to put an elephant on the legs of a horse. But he did not want to! Fortunately, Dali's wife, Gala, intervened. She said: "Do it the way Monsieur Levy wants." And Dali changed jobs. Gala loved money very much. And Dali, to be honest, didn’t care - he didn’t know the value of money, he always had empty pockets. For him, money meant nothing, but Gala was different - she loved money. "
The sculpture "Space Elephant" embodies an important symbol for Dali, born in 1946, when the artist worked on the famous painting "The Temptation of St. Anthony". The image of an elephant carrying an obelisk across the Egyptian desert was created by Dali as a symbol of the presence and development of technology in the modern world. In the painting, four elephants wander on spidery legs, signifying desire, and offer gifts of art, beauty, power, pleasure, and knowledge.
Temptation of Saint Anthony, 1946. Royal Museum of Fine Arts, Brussels.
Cosmic Venus, 1984. Based on gouache original, 1977
Venus is the goddess of beauty. Dali, paying tribute to the female figure, endows her with her own special elements. The sculpture is based on the classical form of a marble statue of a female torso, to which four elements are added: a soft watch, an egg, two ants and a division of the body into two parts. Wrapped around the neck, the watch communicates two opposing ideas. On the one hand, the beauty of the flesh is temporary and will surely disappear. On the other hand, the beauty of art is eternal and timeless.
Space Venus, detail
Ants serve as a reminder of human mortality and impermanence. Between the two parts of "Cosmic Venus" we see the egg, which, like the ant, was Dali's favorite subject. It embodies the duality of a hard outer shell and a soft content. The egg turns out to be a positive symbol, representing life, rebirth, resurrection and the future.
Unicorn, 1984. Based on a 1977 drawing.
Legends portray the unicorn as a symbol of purity. His horn is credited with the ability to neutralize any poison. This mythical animal is also associated with chastity and virginity, both male and female. For this reason, his image has become a conventional image or emblem of a noble knight. In addition, some legends represent the unicorn as a symbol of masculinity. Dali decided to portray him as a kind of phallic figure, whose horn pierces a stone wall through a heart-shaped hole from which a drop of blood flows. The sensual nature of the sculpture is emphasized by the figure of a naked woman lying in the foreground.
"Agony of Love", 1978.
Two more drawings by Dali with similar motifs:
Adam and Eve, 1984. Based on a 1968 gouache original.
In this perfect piece, Dali depicts the Garden of Eden: Adam, Eve, the snake and the complex tension between them. The artist recreates the very moment when Eve offers Adam the forbidden fruit. Adam, not knowing what awaits them if he succumbs to temptation, raises his hand in amazement and hesitation. Knowing about the coming suffering of a couple of snakes, he tries to console the doomed and coils up into the shape of a heart. By doing so, he reminds Adam and Eve that love creates a whole that is always greater than the sum of its individual parts.
Adam and Eve, detail.
The nobility of time, 1984. Based on the gouache original, 1977.
Dali's soft clock falls on a dead tree, whose branches have already given birth to new life, and whose roots have entwined the stone. The tree trunk also serves as a support for the clock. The term "watch crown" in English usually refers to a mechanical device that allows you to set the hands and wind the watch. However, the time in the Dali Universe cannot be set, and the clock itself does not have internal power and movement. Without movement, the "crown" becomes a royal crown, which adorns the clock and indicates that time does not serve people, but rules over them.
Vision of an Angel, 1984. Based on a 1977 drawing.
Salvador Dali comprehends the classical religious image through the prism of surrealistic perception. In this sculpture, the thumb from which life springs (tree branches) symbolizes the power and dominion of God. On the right side of the deity is humanity: a man in the prime of life. On the left side - an angel, symbolizing the spirit of contemplation; his wings rest on a crutch. Although man is united with God, divine knowledge transcends his own.
Drawing - the prototype of the sculpture
Saint George and the Dragon, 1984. Based on a 1977 gouache original.
The largest sculpture of the exhibition is "Saint George and the Dragon". This is a well-known plot of the battle of Light against the forces of Evil. But in the image of George, Dali portrayed himself, and the woman greeting the hero symbolizes the muse of surrealism.
Symbols of the Universe by Salvador Dali
Dali constantly uses some symbols to enhance the sound of his work. The contrast of the hard shell and soft interior is one of the central ideas of his universe. It is consistent with the psychological notion that people place a (hard) defense around their (soft) vulnerable psyche.
Angels
They have the ability to penetrate the heavens, communicate with God and find a mystical union with the artist. The figures of angels painted by Dali often borrow the features of Gal, who embodies purity and nobility for Dali.
Supports (crutches)
This is a symbol of support for weak figures unable to hold their shape. As a child, Dali discovered an old crutch in the attic of his father's house and never parted with it. This object gave him confidence and pride.
elephants
Dali's elephants are usually endowed with long legs, obelisks on their backs as signs of power and dominance. A heavy load, supported by thin, fragile legs, seems to acquire weightlessness.
snails
The snail is associated with a significant event in Dali's life: his meeting with Sigmund Freud. Dali believed that nothing happens by chance, and since then he has associated the snail with Freud and his ideas. He was also fascinated by the combination of the snail's hard shell and its soft body.
Ants
Symbol of decay and decay. Dali first encountered ants as a child, watching them eat the decomposed remains of small animals. He watched this process with enthusiasm and disgust and continued to use ants in his works as a symbol of decadence and ephemerality.
soft watch
Dali often said: "The embodiment of the flexibility of time and the indivisibility of space is a liquid." The softness of Dali's watch also refers to the feeling that the speed of time, precise in the scientific definition, can vary greatly in the subjective perception of a person.
Egg
Christian symbol of resurrection, purity and perfection. For Dali, the egg is associated with a previous life, intrauterine development and a new rebirth.
Sea urchin
His "exoskeleton", bristling with spikes, can be very dangerous and painful on contact. But this shell has a soft body - and it was one of Dali's favorite dishes. The shell of a sea urchin, cleaned of thorns, appears in many of the artist's paintings.
Bread
Dali has always been a big fan of bread. He began depicting bread in his paintings out of fear of losing it. He also included bread in his Surrealist compositions. At the same time, bread most often appears in a "hard" phallic form, as opposed to a "soft" clock.
landscapes
Classic realistic landscapes full of strange and sometimes impossible objects often appear in Dali's work. They help to create an atmosphere of unreality in his paintings, but at the same time they are reminiscent of his native Catalonia and the vast plain that surrounds Figueres, where Dali lived.
Drawer
Human bodies with drawers are repeatedly found in Dali's paintings and sculptures. They symbolize memory and the unconscious and refer to the Freudian 'box of ideas', expressing hidden urges and hidden secrets that can nevertheless be discovered.
Venus de Milo
It has long been part of the personal mythology of the artist. She was the first female figure that Dali, while still a boy, molded from a reproduction that adorned the family dining room.
"The fact that at the time of working on my paintings I myself do not understand their meaning does not mean at all that there is no meaning in them."
Salvador Dali
Snail and Angel
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984
It is well known that the snail was one of Dali's fetishes. The symbolic image of the snail has many meanings. This is a combination of tender living flesh and tough dead shells. This is a fusion of male and female principles in one creature (earth snails are hermaphrodites). This is the perfect harmony of love relationships, because when two snails copulate, each realizes both of its sexual principles.
The snail shell is a symbol of frozen time, the spiral of the shell symbolizes infinity. In this sculptural composition, the snail symbolizes the slow passage of time.
A swift angel appeared in order to endow the snail with the gift of unlimited speed. But before the time he is powerless, as evidenced by the crutch - a symbol of weakness.
Dancer Dali
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1949, first cast - 1984
Dali has always admired the art of dance. Spanish flamenco is especially close to him in spirit, famous for its richest opportunities for a worthy expression of dominant human emotions. Dancer Dali moves in a fast rhythm. She is filled with the energy of dance. Her image is the image of materialized passion. Higher and higher, the folds of the swirling skirt rise, turning into wings. This dance contains a magical power that can lift a person above reality.
Adam and Eve
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1968, first casting - 1984.
In this exquisite masterpiece of erotic sculpture, Dali depicts Adam, Eve and the Serpent-Tempter on the eve of the fall. Seduced by the Serpent, Eve persuades Adam to taste the forbidden fruit. Adam had already raised his hand, but at the last moment he froze, not daring to make the final choice between a promise to God and an irresistible temptation. The wise serpent tries to extinguish doubts and calm the doomed couple. Knowing about the suffering that awaits people, it curls between them in the shape of a heart, as if connecting them with a new gift, love, and creating a figurative triad, potentially rich in semantic shades and philosophical generalizations.
Alice in Wonderland
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984.
Alice in Wonderland is one of Dali's favorite artistic images. This eternal girl opposes the confusion of the looking glass with an invincible childish naivety and sincerity. Meetings with the inhabitants of the surreal world did not harm her, and she returned from there with the same clear childish worldview. Rope - twisted cord - an image of the intricacies of fiction and reality. Alice's hands and hair turned into roses, a symbol of the burgeoning femininity.
birdman
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1972, first cast - 1981
. Dali combines the incongruous. He attaches the head of a heron to the human figure, thereby turning a man into a half-bird, or, perhaps, a bird into a half-man. Try to determine who is in charge here - a man or a bird. Does the person appear to be a heron, or does the heron disguise itself as a person? Dali loves to play dialectical riddles.
Oath to Fashion
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1971, first cast - 1984
Dali's connection with the world of haute couture began in 1930, during his collaboration with Coco Chanel, Elsa Chiaparelli and Vogue magazine, and then did not stop until the end of his life. High Fashion is personified by Venus in the supermodel pose, whose head is strewn with roses or even made from roses, which are traditionally considered the most exquisite flowers, and are interpreted by Dali as a symbol of femininity. Her face is deliberately devoid of detail in order to give free rein to the imagination of fans. We see a kneeling knight, a couturier, who takes the oath of allegiance to this muse of our time.
Lady Godiva with butterflies
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1976, first casting - 1984
Dali, the great master of surrealism, singled out the image of Lady Godiva as one of his favorites. This sculpture, as conceived by Dali, should glorify femininity and sensuality. Heralding the arrival of Godiva, butterflies do not just flutter around her and her noble horse - they become a precious decoration of her body. Lady Godiva embodies earthly beauty. Butterflies symbolize the world of unearthly beauty.
Dance of Time I
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1979, first cast - 1984
The spreading, melting clock is the most recognizable and beloved by the public iconographic image of the surrealistic world of Dali. However, in this sculpture, time is not just amorphous - it dances to the rhythm of the vibrations of the Universe. The usual concept of time is invented by man and therefore is in his service, helping to streamline the moments of human life. Dali's time is different. It is free from rational constraints and dances non-stop, indifferent to the needs of people, to their history and even to the cosmos. The image of the dancing time is depicted in three different forms: Dance of Time I, II and III. Perhaps this is the past, present and future: time has danced, dances and will dance.
Dance of Time II.
Dance of Time III
Glorification of Terpsichore.
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Terpsichore is the muse of dance.
We see two surreal dancers moving in a symbolic space. The dancer with soft classical forms represents Grace and the Unconscious. Its rhythm is a refined sensuality. The second, with cubic forms, represents the chaotic rhythm of modern life. Different rhythms have come together and are dancing together, in each of us.
Horse under the saddle of time
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1980
One of the most famous Dalinian images is that of a horse. This horse also has a saddle in the shape of the famous Dalinian melting clock. Of course, this saddle is not intended for a person. Only time can ride such a beast. The image is filled with expression, eternal non-stop movement, original freedom and insubordination to man.
Surreal Warrior
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1971-1984
The image of the Roman warrior created by Dali is an abstract symbol of victory, whether it is a real or imaginary victory, a victory of the spirit or a material victory. The hole in the warrior's chest in this case emphasizes the significance of the victory as such, regardless of what or over whom it was won.
Unicorn
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1977-1984
The mythical Unicorn in ancient times was considered a symbol of impeccable purity.
It was believed that his horn had magical powers and could save from any poison. However, in this piquant sculptural composition, the Unicorn symbolizes the acquisition of masculinity. With a horn, he pierces a symbolic living barrier, squeezing a heart-shaped hole in it. Nearby lies a beautiful naked woman just defeated by a mythical beast.
Space Venus
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1977-1984
Dali admires the classically beautiful female forms, but at the same time considers it necessary to “ennoble” them in his own way with symbolic details. The famous soft Dalian clock reminds us of the power of time: the flesh of the mortal and the beauty of the body will disappear with it. The beauty of art (true beauty) is timeless and will live forever. Cosmic Venus is cut into two parts, which allows you to see the egg, which here symbolizes endlessly renewed life and perfection. The cosmos that contains true beauty.
Tribute to Newton
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1980
Dali praises Newton for discovering the law of universal gravitation. In Dali's composition, the plastic emotional figure of a person is balanced by the axis of the pendulum, as a symbol of the immutability of the force of universal gravitation. Dali chose this image as the main sculpture of the Dali Museum. In May 1986, the King of Spain allocated a large public square in Madrid for the organization of the Dalí Museum. Dali created a monument 4.5 meters high exactly repeating this image and made it the center of the composition of the square.
Surreal Newton
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1977-1984
Dali repeatedly returned to the image of Newton, paying him the deepest respect as a scientist who discovered the law of universal gravitation. An invariable attribute of this image is an apple, the fall of which, according to legend, prompted Newton to make a great discovery. According to Dali, the fall of this apple was put on a par with the seduction of Adam with an apple from the tree of Knowledge. Dali was amused by the thought that it could be the same apple. Two large holes in the figure symbolize oblivion. In the perception of our contemporaries, Newton is only a great name, devoid of individuality (without soul and heart).
Male figure with Butterfly
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1968-1984
The image of this elegant sculpture was originally conceived as part of the famous Dalian series of Tarot cards, which was created specifically for Gala, the wife and muse of the artist.
The hero leaves the world of everyday banality in order to rush into the ephemeral world of a butterfly. A light butterfly will give him wings and help him fly to another reality, where he can throw off his daily worries and habitual restrictions.
Greatness of Time
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1977-1984
The soft watch sits comfortably on an old tree, this eternal symbol of life. The tree of life is an image of the cyclicity and continuity of life. The crown crowning the watch symbolizes the dominance of time. Nearby are an angel immersed in fruitless thoughts and a woman who peers into the Unknown, hoping to shield herself from him with a veil. Dali thus shows us that time is the supreme ruler, ruling over art and human existence.
The Persistence of Memory
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1980
This is one of the most famous images created by Dali. A soft watch hangs limply from the branches of a tree. Time is not more rigid and independent, it has merged with space. Man has no power over time-space, and the clock invented by him is no longer able to keep such time.
Saint George and the Dragon
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
Conceived - 1977, first casting - 1984
Saint George is the guardian angel of Aragon. In the Middle Ages in Europe, he was considered the patron saint of chivalry. Dali recreates in volume the legendary battle of St. George with the dragon. We also see a woman with a raised hand, symbolizing Victory.
jubilant angel
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1976-1984
Dali once said that no idea inspires him as much as the idea of an angel. Since the late forties, when the artist began to weave religious motifs into his works, the image of an angel has taken a firm place in his work. Unsurpassed in expression - overflowing with divine energy and at the same time light, as if it is not affected by earthly gravity - this angel is a lyrical reflection of the world of Dalian fantasies. He selflessly blows the magic trumpet, sending a jubilant message to all who are able to hear him.
Woman and Time
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1973-1984
This radiant sculpture reflects Dali's reflections on beauty and time. The softly draped figure of a charming young woman symbolizes earthly beauty, while the laconically fashioned rose symbolizes heavenly beauty. The famous Dalian clock is an image of time beyond human control. In this composition, the clock curved in the form of a question mark, as if trying to find out what would be stronger - beauty or time? In the staging of the female figure, in how casually she holds the watch and tremblingly - the flower, one can read the confidence in the victory of beauty over time.
Vision of an Angel
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze The date: 1977-1984
This sculptural group is dedicated to the unity of man and God. The image of the Creator is represented in this mystical sculpture with the thumb of the right hand, from which everything that exists (like branches from a tree trunk) appears. The “Finger of God” is a symbol of divine will, it also evokes associations with the tower ... Man is also created by God, in his image and strives to become like the creator, but God is omnipotent and man will never be able to surpass him, no matter what knowledge he has acquired. The figure of a man resembling a tree, the branches of which rush to heaven, and the roots are firmly tied to the earth, reflects the dual essence of man. The angel figurine aside mournfully reflects on the duality of human nature and the futility of human aspirations, which is emphasized by the crutch behind the angel's back.
Burning woman
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze
The date: 1980
This sculpture combines two obtrusive Dalian images - a living being consumed by fire and a female body with drawers. The flames embody a powerful subconscious desire while the drawers symbolize a woman's conscious secret life. A woman is powerless before the passions and vices that overwhelm her. The symbol of impotence is a golden crutch supporting the figure from behind. Details of the face are deliberately left unfinished to emphasize that this is not an image of any particular woman, but of all women - present, past and future.
space elephant
Method: lost wax casting
Material: Bronze The date: 1980
This sculpture materializes the iconographic Dalian symbol, which was born in 1946 during the artist's work on one of his most significant paintings, The Temptation of Saint Anthony. The elephant stalks through outer space to deliver an obelisk to heaven, symbolizing technological progress. Of course, long, light legs, like those of a slender giraffe or a nimble insect, are more suitable for movement in space. This delightful sculptural composition embodies the hope of a person for personal happiness and good luck.
Salvador Dali is one of the most controversial artists of the last century, "the magician of dreams, fantasies and hallucinations." The presented collection of sculpture by Salvador Dali is known in the art market as the Gotham Collection.
It consists of 29 volumetric surrealistic objects. The figurative range of the collection is well known to admirers of Dali's work from the master's paintings and graphic works.
At first, the sculptures in wax were made by Dali himself.
But then the sculptures were created in Dali's house in Port Ligat.
In 1973, Dali entered into an agreement with the Spanish collector Isidro Clot. Clot purchased wax sculptures and made four series of bronze castings from them.
Some of the sculptures were subsequently cast in larger sizes.
The fact is that Dali himself did not cast sculptures at all: there is evidence that in 1969 - 1972 he embodied surrealistic images in ... wax. In his home in Port Ligat (as Dali's biographer Robert Descharnes wrote), the artist sometimes went to the pool and devoted several hours to modeling. Well, and then the old, like the world, story begins about the thirst for money and Dali's unscrupulousness in means: at first, in 1973, Dali entered into an agreement with the Spanish collector Isidro Clot, who bought wax figures and made four series of bronze castings. Actually, these are the most “genuine Dali sculptures”. The collector kept the first series for himself, the rest went to travel the world, along the way ... multiplying. Already at an advanced age, Dali sold the rights to reproduce sculptures, they were cast many times, sometimes in an increased size, and that is why sometimes a “Dali sculpture” appears on the market at a relatively affordable price. Auctions Sotheby's and Christie's for two whole years generally refused to accept the "Dali sculpture" for sale. Needless to say about the exhibitions of Dali's sculptures - the images, of course, are genuine, but all these are copies of copies. That is what miscalculated in 2013 the robbers, who, perhaps, thought to gain millions for the work stolen from the Paris exhibition - the famous "spreading clock"!
More or less originals can be considered, for example, such objects as the "Venus de Milo with boxes" (1936), from which the artist Marcel Duchamp, at the request of Dali, made a casting. Plaster Venus is real. But her twin sisters of the same form - again, "went into circulation."
The "Retrospective bust of a woman" created by Salvador Dali in 1933 for the Surrealist exhibition at the Pierre Colle Gallery (Paris) is also original. On the porcelain bust of a woman is placed a loaf of bread (a hat - sur!) And a bronze inkwell - the image of the painting "Angelus" by Jean-Francois Millet. Plus ants on the face, a paper "scarf", corn cobs on the shoulders. Just a parody of fashion! The original was ruined by... Picasso's dog. The exhibition was visited by an artist with a pet, and the dog ate a loaf! The whole idea, literally, down the drain ... Now the "reconstruction" of the work, but with a "fake" long loaf, is located in the Theater-Museum of Salvador Dali in Figueres.
