Salvador Dalí The Enigma of Faith Touring the US: North Dakota, Indiana, Oklahoma, Delaware

ARTLYST
By Revd Jonathan Evens

Purgatory Salvador Dalí, The Divine Comedy, Purgatory Dante Purified, 1960, wood engraving

Salvador Dalí was an enigma, perhaps never more so than in his engagement with religion. An exhibition currently touring the US demonstrates the divided and dualistic nature of that relationship. ‘Salvador Dalí’s Stairway to Heaven,’ features complete portfolios of Dalí’s illustrations for two of his most ambitious publishing projects—his artwork for memorable editions of Comte de Lautréamont’s ‘Les Chants de Maldoror’ and Dante’s ‘The Divine Comedy’. Each project comes from a different era in Dalí’s life. ‘Les Chants de Maldoror’, was an 1869 text rediscovered by the Surrealists in the 1930s. Dalí completed his 43 illustrations when he was still proudly identifying as a Surrealist. At the time, the subject matter – scenes of violence, perversion, and blasphemy – was ideal for Dalí. [More]
‘Salvador Dalí Stairway to Heaven’: Plains Art Museum (Fargo, North Dakota): December 19, 2019 – May 20, 2020; (lockdown permitting) Fort Wayne Museum of Art (Fort Wayne, Indiana): June 13, 2020 – August 16, 2020; Mabee-Gerrer Museum of Art (Shawnee, Oklahoma): September 11, 2020 – November 1, 2020; Biggs Museum of American Art (Dover, Delaware): December 4, 2020