Salvador Dali's Bois Grave "St. Bernard's Prayer to the Virgin" from the "Divine Comedy", Published 1964
Item Details
A Salvador Dali (1904-1989) woodblock print titled ‘St. Bernards Prayer to the Virgin Mary’ after the artist’s original watercolor illustration for The Divine Comedy by Dante. The woodblock print is on Rives paper with the artist’s signature cartouche in the block. The illustration is inspired by the scene from Paradiso Canto 33 of Dante’s epic 13th century poem and was originally commissioned by the Italian government in 1950. After public disapproval of a Spaniard being chosen for the job, Dali purchased the unfinished work and returned to Paris to have the volume with 101 illustrations published by Editions d’Art les Heaures Claires in 1964. Each illustration required a separate woodblock for each color resulting in the need for a total of 3500 to create 101 images for the publication.
This Bois Grave was purchased in Paris through Claude de Muzac, the gold foil label remains affixed to the back. It is as framed, mounted from the back to a plane of glass having a thin wood frame in a pewter and gold finish.
Condition
The impression is good and the colors are strong.
Dimensions
The measurements refer to the frame. The image is 13" high x 1o.5" wide.
Item #
16CIN490-054
