DALI

Salvador Dali

The Resurrection 1979 Lithograph in colors on Japon paper Signed in pencil and numbered IXXXVI/C (the total edition was 750) Published by Gala Publishers, Los Angeles, with the Dalart N.V. copyright 1979 Blind stamp, with full margins. 23 x 16 in (58.4 x 40.6cm)

When it came to depicting Jesus Christ – a most appropriate subject this time of year, to be sure – Dalí’s penchant for seeing in a very special way didn’t disappoint. In paintings by Salvador Dalí – all depict the image of Christ – his subject is either shown ascending toward heaven, or there’s a related detail expressing the feeling of ascension. Unlike most other famous paintings of Jesus through art history, Dalí showed absolutely no hint of pain, anguish, or despondency. Perhaps the best-known painting of Christ expressing the horror of crucifixion was that of Mathias Grunewald, in his gruesome The Crucifixion of Christ. El Greco showed the torturous crown of thorns, while Dalí’s favorite painter – Velasquez – portrayed a beautiful Christ form with the nails in his bloodied hands and feet, as well as His lanced right side. But Salvador Dalí’s vision was deliberately different. No nails. No thorns. Bo blood. No sense of pain or anguish. Instead, he chose to emphasize a feeling of triumph, of the victory of good over evil, and the ultimate beauty of Christ’s life and infinite meaning. What’s more, Dalí was especially interested in portraying the central significance of Christ’s time on earth – his Resurrection.