Salvador Dalí (1904-1989)
Le Cheval S'étant voulu Venger du Cerf, from Le Bestiaire de La Fontaine (Field 74-1E; M&L 655)
Etching with drypoint and pochoir printed in colours, 1974
signed in pencil, numbered from the edition of 120 in roman numerals
printed by Atelier Rigal, Fontenay-aux-Roses, published by Editions des Maîtres Contemporains, Metz, and with the publisher's accompanying certificate of authenticity, on Richard de Bas Auvergne wove paper, with full margins
sheet 580 x 792mm (22 7/8 x 31 1/4in) (unframed)
One of the most celebrated and influential artists of the twentieth century, Salvador Dalí brought his unmistakable imagination to every medium he explored, from painting and sculpture to printmaking and book illustration. A leading figure of the Surrealist movement, Dalí became renowned for his dreamlike imagery, technical virtuosity, and ability to transform literary and historical subjects into fantastical visual narratives.
Created in 1974, Le Cheval S'étant voulu Venger du Cerf forms part of Dalí’s acclaimed suite Le Bestiaire de La Fontaine, inspired by the timeless fables of the seventeenth-century French writer Jean de La Fontaine. In this ambitious series, Dalí reinterpreted La Fontaine’s moral tales through his uniquely surreal lens, infusing familiar animal protagonists with theatrical energy, psychological complexity, and striking symbolism.
Executed in etching with drypoint and enhanced with vibrant pochoir colouring, the work demonstrates the artist’s mastery of printmaking techniques and his enduring fascination with metamorphosis, fantasy, and the subconscious. The expressive line and luminous colour create a dynamic composition in which Dalí’s inventive visual language brings renewed vitality to one of literature’s most beloved bestiaries.
Born in Figueres, Catalonia, Dalí studied at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando in Madrid before emerging as a central figure within the international Surrealist movement during the 1920s and 1930s. Throughout a career spanning more than six decades, he collaborated with writers, filmmakers, and publishers, producing some of the most imaginative illustrated books of the modern era. His works are held in the collections of major institutions worldwide, including the Museum of Modern Art, New York, the Tate, London, and the Dalí Theatre-Museum in Figueres.
This impression is signed in pencil and numbered from the edition of 120 in Roman numerals. Printed by Atelier Rigal, Fontenay-aux-Roses, and published by Éditions des Maîtres Contemporains, Metz, it is accompanied by the publisher’s certificate of authenticity and presented on Richard de Bas Auvergne wove paper with full margins.