The Holy Bible
Biblia Sacra vulgatae editionis. Sixti V pont. max. iussu recognita et Clementis VIII auctoritate edita imaginibus Salvador Dalì exornata. Milano, Rizzoli, 1967.
In 1963, Dalí was commissioned to render the Biblia Sacra by Giuseppe Albaretto, a fervent supporter of the Catholic Church. By doing so, Albaretto hoped to bring his friend closer to God. Dalí illustrated an impressive collection of 105 lithographs divided in five volumes which were based on the five books of the Old Testament- Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy. Dalí developed this series during his Nuclear Mysticism phase, which can be described as the “hybrid combination of nuclear science and Catholic doctrine”. Interestingly, the artist used a mixture of techniques in order to create this series. He used watercolours to realise the drawings, evocative drips and a unique technique of shooting ink capsules on the heavy rag papers.
The book written by Rizzoli includes a preface which describes the art as “configure, in a universal and personal way at the same time, the dynamic, chromatic vision, rich in symbols and references, which characterizes the relationship between the man of today and the perennial sense of God”. The work presented by Dalí is full of vibrant colours which symbolise deep emotions. We understand Christianity through the eyes of a Spanish artist who was surrounded by devout Christian followers, but never adhered to a religion. The lithographs available at our gallery are plate signed by Dalí and can be sold individually.
