A fabulous limited edition bronze sculpture depicting a melting clock draped over the branch of a tree. Signed, numbered 139/350, dated 1981 and with Camblest foundry seal.
For example of the same cast see - https://auctions.dunbarsloane.co.nz/1683/catalogue/0031
The bronze sculpture of The Persistence of Memory by Salvador Dalí translates his iconic painting into three-dimensional form, deepening its exploration of time and memory. The melting clock, rendered in fluid curves, symbolizes the malleability of time and the subconscious mind’s detachment from rigid reality. By transforming the image into bronze, a traditionally durable medium, Dalí juxtaposes permanence with the fluidity of time, emphasizing the paradox between the ephemeral and the eternal. The sculpture captures Dalí's surreal vision, challenging viewers to reflect on the transient nature of existence and the enduring power of memory within human experience.
ADDITIONAL INFORMATION
Height: 40 cm
Width: 26 cm
Depth: 10 cm
Circa: 1981
Condition: Excellent Original Condition
Materials: Bronze
Book Ref: Dali - Sculpture & Objects - by Descharnes
Page No: 162
SKU: 9272
ABOUT
Salvador Dali
Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech (* May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain; † January 23, 1989) spent his life exploring the limits of the human spirit. Which was sometimes reflected on the screen in bizarre dream worlds.
As one of the main representatives of Surrealism, Salvador Dalí is one of the most famous painters of the 20th century. But the universal genius was also a gifted graphic artist, writer, stage designer and sculptor. The year was 1956, when Dalí completed a sculpture that expressed all his creative power. Dalí was probably inspired by another important artist - Albrecht Dürer. As is known, in 1515 he had made a woodcut depicting a rhinoceros only on the basis of a description, since he had never seen the unusual animal himself.
Although coming from two different eras, Dalí and Dürer would probably have gotten along well. After all, both artists went into great detail with their works. However, Dalí would not be Dalí if he had not added a crown to his work, with a wink and a slight twirl to the famous beard. In Dalí's case, however, the crown mutates into a sea urchin. By arranging the rhinoceros with a sea urchin, Dalí succeeds in elevating the object of representation to a new level. Salvador Dalí, who liked to describe his associative and dream worlds as a paranoiac-critical method, thus alienates Dürer's depiction of the animal in a surrealistic way. Dalí's rhinoceros sculpture was created in 1954 as a large-format unique piece. The artist never realized an edition of this sculpture throughout his life. Dalí would certainly have been pleased that the original has been on display in the Marbella marina since 2004.
For those who would like to have the famous rhinoceros a few sizes smaller in their home showcase, there is an opportunity. Robert Descharnes, owner of the exploitation rights to Dalí's sculptures, authorized the casting of the small sculpture "Rhinocéros" in 1997, which is aimed at collectors. In the famous art foundry Airaindor-Valsuani, about 30 kilometers south of Paris, these and other bronze sculptures by Dalí. The unique piece in the marina of Marbella, however, in its monumental size exerts its own charm on the viewer. Quite in the spirit of the eccentric artist.
To see more Salvador Dali sculptures in our collection click here
