ARTISTS
Salvador Dal铆 Illustrates Dante's Divine Comedy
21 Jul, 2011 - 25 Sep, 2011
The Haggin Museum is proud to present Dal铆 Illustrates Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy, containing 100 watercolor prints from the Surrealist master鈥檚 Divine Comedy Suite.
In 1957, the Italian Government commissioned Dal铆 to illustrate Dante Alighieri鈥檚 Divine Comedy. Often considered to be the greatest work of Medieval European literature, the epic, 33-canto poem describes Dante鈥檚 symbolic journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors were to be reproduced as wood engravings and released as a limited edition print suite in honor of the 700th anniversary of Dante鈥檚 birth.
Upon receiving the commission, Dal铆 immediately began creating a series of 100 watercolors, each one illustrating a canto from the poem. But when the project was announced to the public, Italians were outraged that a Spaniard had been chosen to honor the anniversary, and the commission was rescinded. Dal铆, confident that a publisher could be found, continued to work on the project.
In order to translate Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors into printed plates, two artists hand carved 3,500 blocks (an average of 35 separate blocks per print), a process which lasted five years. Dal铆 considered this project to be one of the most important of his career.
The exhibition was organized by the Las Cruces Museum of Art in New Mexico and is on a 10-city, three-year national tour developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, an exhibition tour development company in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1957, the Italian Government commissioned Dal铆 to illustrate Dante Alighieri鈥檚 Divine Comedy. Often considered to be the greatest work of Medieval European literature, the epic, 33-canto poem describes Dante鈥檚 symbolic journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors were to be reproduced as wood engravings and released as a limited edition print suite in honor of the 700th anniversary of Dante鈥檚 birth.
Upon receiving the commission, Dal铆 immediately began creating a series of 100 watercolors, each one illustrating a canto from the poem. But when the project was announced to the public, Italians were outraged that a Spaniard had been chosen to honor the anniversary, and the commission was rescinded. Dal铆, confident that a publisher could be found, continued to work on the project.
In order to translate Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors into printed plates, two artists hand carved 3,500 blocks (an average of 35 separate blocks per print), a process which lasted five years. Dal铆 considered this project to be one of the most important of his career.
The exhibition was organized by the Las Cruces Museum of Art in New Mexico and is on a 10-city, three-year national tour developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, an exhibition tour development company in Kansas City, Missouri.
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The Haggin Museum is proud to present Dal铆 Illustrates Dante鈥檚 Divine Comedy, containing 100 watercolor prints from the Surrealist master鈥檚 Divine Comedy Suite.
In 1957, the Italian Government commissioned Dal铆 to illustrate Dante Alighieri鈥檚 Divine Comedy. Often considered to be the greatest work of Medieval European literature, the epic, 33-canto poem describes Dante鈥檚 symbolic journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors were to be reproduced as wood engravings and released as a limited edition print suite in honor of the 700th anniversary of Dante鈥檚 birth.
Upon receiving the commission, Dal铆 immediately began creating a series of 100 watercolors, each one illustrating a canto from the poem. But when the project was announced to the public, Italians were outraged that a Spaniard had been chosen to honor the anniversary, and the commission was rescinded. Dal铆, confident that a publisher could be found, continued to work on the project.
In order to translate Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors into printed plates, two artists hand carved 3,500 blocks (an average of 35 separate blocks per print), a process which lasted five years. Dal铆 considered this project to be one of the most important of his career.
The exhibition was organized by the Las Cruces Museum of Art in New Mexico and is on a 10-city, three-year national tour developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, an exhibition tour development company in Kansas City, Missouri.
In 1957, the Italian Government commissioned Dal铆 to illustrate Dante Alighieri鈥檚 Divine Comedy. Often considered to be the greatest work of Medieval European literature, the epic, 33-canto poem describes Dante鈥檚 symbolic journey through Hell, Purgatory and Heaven.
Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors were to be reproduced as wood engravings and released as a limited edition print suite in honor of the 700th anniversary of Dante鈥檚 birth.
Upon receiving the commission, Dal铆 immediately began creating a series of 100 watercolors, each one illustrating a canto from the poem. But when the project was announced to the public, Italians were outraged that a Spaniard had been chosen to honor the anniversary, and the commission was rescinded. Dal铆, confident that a publisher could be found, continued to work on the project.
In order to translate Dal铆鈥檚 watercolors into printed plates, two artists hand carved 3,500 blocks (an average of 35 separate blocks per print), a process which lasted five years. Dal铆 considered this project to be one of the most important of his career.
The exhibition was organized by the Las Cruces Museum of Art in New Mexico and is on a 10-city, three-year national tour developed by Smith Kramer Fine Art Services, an exhibition tour development company in Kansas City, Missouri.
Artists on show
Contact details
Sunday
1:30 - 5:00 PM
Wednesday - Saturday
1:30 - 5:00 PM
2nd Saturdays for Families: Surreal Art Day
August 13, 2011
1:30 - 3:00 PM
1201 Pershing Avenue Stockton, CA, USA 95203
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