"Rhinoceros Dressed in Lace" by Salvador Dali

A stunning limited edition bronze study of a standing rhino with both realistic and surreal components. The bronze with excellent detail and rich patina, signed Dali numbered 16 / 499 N.E, with 'Cire Perdue Valsuani' stamp. Note: These bronzes were produced in an edition of 499 by Valasuani in 1956.

This artwork features a rhinoceros adorned with delicate lace patterns, contrasting the animal's robust, primal form with an element of fragility and elegance. Dalí often associated the rhinoceros with divine geometry, citing the logarithmic spirals of its horn as a symbol of perfection. The lace adds a surreal touch, juxtaposing strength and delicacy. Created during Dalí’s exploration of sculptural surrealism, the piece reflects his fascination with paradox, transformation, and the interplay between the organic and the ornamental. It remains a striking example of his innovative vision.

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION

Height:                                     23 cm

Width:                                      30 cm

Depth:                                      18 cm

Circa:                                         1956                               

Condition:                               Excellent Original Condition

Materials:                                Bronze

Book Ref:                                 'The Hard and The Soft' by Robert and Nicolas Descharnes

Page No:                                68

SKU:                                            9296

ABOUT

Salvador Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech (born May 11, 1904 in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain;  Died 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