Salvador Dali, Last Supper
Salvador Dali
1904-1989
Spanish
Date
1978
Medium Specific
Platinum bas relief
Edition / State
I-85/95
Publisher
Levine & Levine
Classification
Sculpture: Metal
Dimensions
18 x 24 in. (45.7 x 61 cm)
Accession Number
2008.35.28.98
Credit
Gift of Dr. Daniel L. and Joanne Azarnoff
Memo / Artist Statement
Dali created this bas relief in 1978 which is derived from a painting he made in 1955 entitled The Sacrament of Last Supper , currently held at The National Gallery in Washington DC. Dali's interest in mathematics influenced him to create the classic scene in a different form.
Biography
Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech was born on May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. His first exhibition of his paintings was in 1919, and in 1921 he attended the San Fernando Academy of Fine Arts in Madrid until he was expelled in 1926.
Dalí’s early works reflect the artistic style of neo-classical cubism that was greatly influenced by Pablo Picasso but by 1927 his work was characterized as part of the Surrealist Movement which he officially joined in 1929. Dalí later became estranged with Andre Breton, considered to be the founder of the Surrealist Movement, and began to distance himself politically from the Movement, but his work has continued to be identified, even definitive, of this style.
By 1940, Dalí was moving into a new type of painting with a preoccupation in science and religion. With his wife Gala, Dalí escaped from Europe during World War II, spending 1940-48 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. The Museum of Modern Art in New York gave Dalí his first major retrospective exhibit in 1941. This was followed in 1942 by the publication of Dalí's autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí.
Dalí returned to Catalonia in 1949 and his work at that time reflects the influence of Abstract Expressionism with many works concerning scientific, historical or religious themes. As he continued to rise to prominence from the sale of his paintings, sculptures and lithographs the output of his work became exponential. In the 1970s he is known to have been working long hours in the studio in a wide range of media. Much of the artwork on display is from this period, dated between 1966-1980. Late in his career, Dalí did not confine himself to painting, but experimented with many unusual or novel media and processes including optical illusions.
As an artist, Salvador Dalí was not limited to a particular style or media. The body of his work, from early impressionist paintings through his transitional surrealist works, and into his classical period, reveals a constantly growing and evolving artist. Dalí worked in all media, leaving behind a wealth of oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics, and sculptures, films, photographs, performance pieces, jewels and objects of all descriptions. As important, he left for posterity the permission to explore all aspects of one’s own life and to give them artistic expression.
The Dalí Museum was opened in Cleveland by Reynolds Morse in 1971 and the Teatro Museo Dalí was opened in Figueras in 1974. He was elected to the Beaux-Arts Academy in 1978. Throughout the 1980s, Dalí suffered from various illnesses that were compounded with the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982 which depressed him greatly. Dalí was awarded the Gold Medal of Catalonia in 1982 and the Grand Cross of Charles III from King Juan Carlos making him a Marques (nobleman) of Spain and according him the highest recognition by Spanish Royalty. Dalí died on January 23, 1989.
Ades, Dawn Dalí and Surrealism. Harper and Row Publishers. New York: 1982.
Etherington-Smith. Dalí, A Biography. Sinclair Stevenson. London: 1992.
Rojas, Carlos. El mundo mitico y magico de Salvador Dalí Plaza and Janes Editores. Barcelona: 1985.
Dalí’s early works reflect the artistic style of neo-classical cubism that was greatly influenced by Pablo Picasso but by 1927 his work was characterized as part of the Surrealist Movement which he officially joined in 1929. Dalí later became estranged with Andre Breton, considered to be the founder of the Surrealist Movement, and began to distance himself politically from the Movement, but his work has continued to be identified, even definitive, of this style.
By 1940, Dalí was moving into a new type of painting with a preoccupation in science and religion. With his wife Gala, Dalí escaped from Europe during World War II, spending 1940-48 in the United States. These were very important years for the artist. The Museum of Modern Art in New York gave Dalí his first major retrospective exhibit in 1941. This was followed in 1942 by the publication of Dalí's autobiography, The Secret Life of Salvador Dalí.
Dalí returned to Catalonia in 1949 and his work at that time reflects the influence of Abstract Expressionism with many works concerning scientific, historical or religious themes. As he continued to rise to prominence from the sale of his paintings, sculptures and lithographs the output of his work became exponential. In the 1970s he is known to have been working long hours in the studio in a wide range of media. Much of the artwork on display is from this period, dated between 1966-1980. Late in his career, Dalí did not confine himself to painting, but experimented with many unusual or novel media and processes including optical illusions.
As an artist, Salvador Dalí was not limited to a particular style or media. The body of his work, from early impressionist paintings through his transitional surrealist works, and into his classical period, reveals a constantly growing and evolving artist. Dalí worked in all media, leaving behind a wealth of oils, watercolors, drawings, graphics, and sculptures, films, photographs, performance pieces, jewels and objects of all descriptions. As important, he left for posterity the permission to explore all aspects of one’s own life and to give them artistic expression.
The Dalí Museum was opened in Cleveland by Reynolds Morse in 1971 and the Teatro Museo Dalí was opened in Figueras in 1974. He was elected to the Beaux-Arts Academy in 1978. Throughout the 1980s, Dalí suffered from various illnesses that were compounded with the death of his wife, Gala, in 1982 which depressed him greatly. Dalí was awarded the Gold Medal of Catalonia in 1982 and the Grand Cross of Charles III from King Juan Carlos making him a Marques (nobleman) of Spain and according him the highest recognition by Spanish Royalty. Dalí died on January 23, 1989.
Ades, Dawn Dalí and Surrealism. Harper and Row Publishers. New York: 1982.
Etherington-Smith. Dalí, A Biography. Sinclair Stevenson. London: 1992.
Rojas, Carlos. El mundo mitico y magico de Salvador Dalí Plaza and Janes Editores. Barcelona: 1985.