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Salvador Dalí is an endlessly fascinating figure in art history. Known for his Surrealist point of view—and its most enduring motif, the melted clock—the eccentric creative produced paintings as well as works in sculpture, film, photography, and more. But it's Dalí’s genius on canvas that is the subject of a recently expanded book by Robert Descharnes and Gilles Néret, published by Taschen. Titled Dalí. The Paintings, the “weighty volume” boasts one of the most complete studies of the artist’s works ever to be printed.
At 752 pages, the book is the result of years of research by Descharnes and Néret (who have both since passed away). They located and uncovered works by Dalí that went unseen for many years, and almost half of the paintings in this book are appearing in public for the first time.
Although paintings are the emphasis of the latest Dalí publication, the book does more than just showcase his illustrations. The authors have contextualized his work by studying documents, writings, and drawings from his other pieces that include the ballet, fashion, advertising, and more. This allows the publication to be a source of analysis of Dalí's paintings—something that is often missing from other artist oeuvres.
The tome is divided into two sections. The first part of the book examines how Dalí came to be Dalí. As an unknown artist, he experimented with many different artistic movements (such as Pointillism, Cubism, and Futurism) and “would borrow from prevailing trends before ridiculing and abandoning them.” The second portion, according to Taschen, “unveils the conclusions of Dalí’s lifelong inquiries” and explores his artistic legacy as well as previously unreleased homages to Velázquez or Michaelangelo.
Dalí. The Paintings is now available on Taschen and Amazon.
Taschen has recently expanded a book on Salvador Dalí called Dalí. The Paintings.
At a massive 752 pages, almost half of the paintings in this book are appearing in public for the first time.
h/t: [Open Culture]
All images via Taschen.
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Salvador Dalí’s Rarely Seen ‘Alice in Wonderland’ Illustrations Are Finally Reissued
