Etching on BFK Rives paper, 37 x 25 cm (inside the mat), 48 x 37 cm (including the mat), limited edition, hand-numbered 114/250 on the lower left and signed on the lower right.
Publisher: Geneva Graphic Ltd. (Geneva, Switzerland).
This is a series of twelve color prints in which Dalí interpreted traditional astrological symbols in a surreal and highly personal way. Over the course of 10 years, Dalí created three different versions and interpretations of the signs of the Zodiac, experimenting with various printmaking techniques. The first version was created in 1967 as lithographs commissioned by Mr. Leon Amiel of New York and Paris. Amiel was one of the leading publishers specializing in the production and distribution of limited editions of prints by the most important artists of the 20th century (including Dalí).
The series was published as a deluxe portfolio, typically containing 12 lithographs depicting the twelve zodiac signs, along with an additional frontispiece (title page). The zodiac theme is widely appealing, which made the series extremely popular among both art collectors and those interested in the esoteric, making it one of the most sought-after sets of Dalí prints. Salvador Dalí returned to the zodiac theme in 1978, creating a new series, this time using the etching technique.
While the first edition had a more free-flowing, painterly style with broader brushstrokes typical of lithography, the 1978 series is more precise and linear (as is typical of etching), set within a small, circular frame, which gives it the classic appearance of medals or shields. And
The inspiration for the sign of Gemini in Dalí’s zodiac series—just as in astronomical and astrological tradition—was Castor and Pollux: Castor (the mortal son of Tyndareus, king of Sparta). Pollux (Polydeuces) (the immortal son of Zeus).
The “Zodiac” series is a perfect example of Dalí’s late creative period, when, with masterful graphic technique, he transformed widely recognized motifs into the language of his unique surrealism.
The frames shown in the renderings are for illustrative purposes only and do not constitute a commercial offer.
