Salvador Dalí

SALVADOR DALÍ I DOMÈNECH (Figueras, Girona, 1904 - 1989).
"Christ of St. John of the Cross", 1974. Enlargement from a reduced model (31 cm), original wax by Salvador Dalí.
Patinated bronze, copy 3/8.
Edition of 8 copies numbered 1/8 to 8/8 plus 4 artist's proofs inscribed and numbered I/IV AP to IV/IV AP.
Signature "Dali", no. "3/8".
Bonvicini foundry stamp "FONDERIE A / F.LLI BON / SOMMACAMPA / ITALIA" on the back of the calf of the right leg, publisher 2049.
File reference: 396.
Attached certificate issued by Archives Descharnes.
Measurements: 308 x 120 x 122 cm.

Dalí's Christ of St. John of the Cross stands as one of the most monumental, ambitious and significant manifestations of his iconography, not only for its exceptional scale -extraordinarily rare in this type of representation- but also for the conceptual, spiritual and historical depth it contains: the artist himself stated "I will do my best because it is God", underlining the sacred dimension of the project; both the 1951 painting and the 1974 sculpture are inspired by a drawing by St. John of the Cross, who, according to tradition, had this vision during a mystical ecstasy, an image that reached Dalí thanks to Father Bruno Froissart, who photographed it in the monastery of Avila and showed it to him, provoking an immediate reinterpretation that would give rise to his famous painting today in the Glasgow Museum; From this, Dalí developed a sculpture where Christ appears suspended, without a cross, free of any physical fixation because, as the artist argued, God is everywhere, being supported only by a huge nail whose tip is embedded in a pyramid of stones from Golgotha, worn by pilgrims, while the nail is fixed to a clover - symbol of the Holy Trinity -, thus condensing martyrdom, death and transcendence in a deeply symbolic language; This absence of the traditional cross and its replacement by elements charged with meaning reinforce a cosmic and mystical vision of Christ, far removed from physical suffering and centered on the divine and universal, making the work an intensely personal creation, one of the artist's most elaborate and internationally recognized, and whose monumentality places it as an exceptional and almost unique piece within his production.

This work, moreover, acquires an added value for its exclusivity, since it belongs to a limited edition of 8 copies numbered from 1/8 to 8/8, to which are added 4 artist's proofs inscribed and numbered from I/IV PA to IV/IV PA, which reinforces its unique and exceptional character within the Dalinian production.

Through publishers such as Bonvicini, Dalí was able to greatly expand the reach of his work beyond the single painting, reaching an international audience through prints, lithographs and serial sculptures, which helped to consolidate his presence in the global art market. Moreover, these collaborations facilitated the materialization of many of his ideas in accessible and collectible formats, reinforcing his image as a prolific and versatile artist; although this stage has also been the subject of critical debate due to the abundance of editions, the truth is that publishers such as Bonvicini were fundamental in turning Dalí into a widely distributed and recognized figure in the international art market.

It is also worth noting how Velázquez is important in Dalí's "Christ of St. John of the Cross" because he acts as a key reference in the way he reinterprets the classical Spanish tradition, especially in the representation of Christ. Dalí was deeply familiar with Velázquez's Christ crucified (1632), a sober, balanced work of great dignity, where the body appears idealized and serene, without dramatic excesses; this conception directly influences Dalí, who also eliminates explicit suffering (blood, gestures of pain) to present a beautiful, harmonious and transcendent Christ. However, Dalí goes further: he takes this classical Velázquez base and radically transforms it by means of an impossible perspective from above and a cosmic conception, turning the figure into a universal symbol rather than a narrative scene. Thus, Velázquez represents the starting point - tradition, formal purity and contained spirituality - which Dalí reinterprets to create a modern image, where classicism, mysticism and a new vision of space and the divine merge.

Salvador Dalí was one of the most influential and recognizable figures of 20th century art, whose importance lies in having taken surrealism to a universal dimension, both artistically and culturally. Born in Figueres, he stood out from a young age for his talent and provocative personality, and after joining the surrealist circle in Paris in the 1920s, he revolutionized the movement with his paranoiac-critical method, a way of exploring the subconscious that gave rise to such iconic images as The Persistence of Memory. Dalí not only transformed the visual language of art, but also expanded its boundaries by integrating disciplines such as film, literature, design and advertising, becoming a precursor of the contemporary media artist. Throughout his career, he evolved towards a mystical stage in which he fused science, religion and classicism, demonstrating a unique ability to reinvent himself without losing his identity. His impact is not limited to his works, but also to his ability to build an unmistakable visual imaginary and popularize art on a global scale, becoming a symbol of modern artistic genius and an essential reference for understanding contemporary art.