Salvador Dali
The Flatterer

The Flatterer
1964, Woodblock engraving., Ed. of 4765. 13 x 10 1/4 in. Inferno - plate 18
During the 1950's Salvador Dali was commissioned by the Italian Government to illustrate The Divine Comedy by Dante Alighieri. Dali created 101 watercolors to represent scenes from Dante's travels through Inferno, Purgatory and Paradise. However, the extravagantly surrealistic art works were not well received by the Italian public at the time and the government canceled the project. Fortunately, French publisher Joseph Foret was interested and work began on the engraving of woodblocks, chosen as the best medium to represent the nuances of Dali's compositions into print format. The woodblocks were destroyed after printing. This impression was beautifully printed on BFK Rives wove paper and issued in 1964 by Les Heures Claires in a total edition of 4765. The image measures 10 x 7 1/4 inches (255 x 182 mm) with full original margins; the full sheet measuring 13 x 10 1/4 inches (330 x 262 mm). The Divine Comedy is held to be one of Dali's masterpieces and the artist himself considered this series to be among his most important works. A rich, magnificent impression. Not signed.