Frontispiece for “Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland”
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The incredible artistic mind of Salvador Dalí knew no limits, as evidenced by everything from Dalí's illustrated cookbook to his logo design for Chupa Chups. But there is no better pairing for the avant-garde master of Surrealism than the fantasy land created by Lewis Carroll in Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. Luckily for us, a visionary editor at Random House saw the connection and commissioned Dalí to illustrate a limited edition of the classic in 1969.
Dalí created twelve heliogravures for the occasion—one illustration for each chapter—as well as a four-color etching as the frontispiece. Only 2,700 of the edition were printed, and the artist signed each original etching. Of course, with copies becoming increasingly rare, the prices have skyrocketed, but luckily Dalí lovers can rejoice in knowing that Princeton University Press recently reissued an affordable copy.
Those with a keen eye will immediately pick out some of Dalí's signature imagery woven into the illustrations. The girl jumping rope in the frontispiece comes from his Landscape with Girl Skipping Rope and the iconic melting clock from The Persistence of Memory finds a nice home at the center of the Mad Hatter's tea party.
The incredible example of cultural cross-pollination is enhanced with essays by mathematician and Dalí collaborator Thomas Banchoff and Mark Burstein, president of the Lewis Carroll Society of North America.
In 1969, Salvador Dalí created illustrations for a limited edition of Alice's Adventures in Wonderland. The rare work was recently reissued and is now available to Dalí lovers everywhere.
Mad Tea Party
The Queen’s Croquet Ground
Advice From a Caterpillar
The Mock Turtle’s Story
The Pool of Tears
Down the Rabbit Hole
Alice’s Evidence
The Lobster’s Quadrille
The Rabbit Sends in a Little Bill
The Caucus Race and a Long Tale
Pig and Pepper
h/t: [Open Culture, Brain Pickings]
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