Opening Thursday, June 25th 2009 6 pm – 9 pm
New York City, June 2009 – The William Bennett Gallery is pleased to announce the opening of its newest show, featuring a collection of 150 exceptional Artist’s Proofs, Rare Prints, Unique Works, and never-before-
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland| Art of Love | Divine Comedy |Biblia Sacra |The Hippies | Florals | Greek Mythology | Paradise Lost | Memories of Surrealism | Our Historical Heritage | and other selected works.
Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland - 1969
In 1969 Salvador Dalí illustrated Lewis Carroll’s Alice’s Adventures in Wonderland. Both men were ultimate explorers of dreams, and Carroll’s words found their perfect match in the visions of Dalí. To create the series, Dalí used the techniques of heliogravure, etching and woodblock remarque to visualize each chapter. Each of the 13 works portrays the timeless adventure with whimsical metaphors, vibrant colors and the classic figure of Alice and her jump rope.
The Art of Love - L’art d’aimer - 1979
Dalí’s The Art of Love portfolio was created in 1979 to accompany the songs of the same name written by Ovid almost 2000 years earlier. Illustrated with brilliant color and rich detail, these images portray Ovid’s lessons on love, seduction and intrigue. The illustrations also emphasize Dalí’s sensuality, both in subject matter and style, as well as his customary attention to the feminine, a theme that played a large part in the artist’s creative process. This portfolio, made up of etchings, lithographs, and woodcut engravings, is one of Salvador Dalí’s most rare books. Furthermore, the Art of Love book seen at the William Bennett Gallery is one of only nine Artist’s Proofs in the world, thus providing not only an extraordinary viewing experience, but an unparalleled collecting opportunity.
Biblia Sacra - 1964
Dalí’s Biblia Sacra is the largest issued suite of the Spanish master’s work. The portfolio was commissioned by leading patron Dr. Giuseppe Albaretto, who was determined to redeem what he felt were Dalí’s wayward views and lead him back to the Catholic Church. Subsequently, these exquisite works illustrate Dalí’s renewed ties to Christianity as well as his profound personal spirituality. Six years in the making, the Biblia Sacra contains 105 lithographs. The original illustrations were completed between 1963 and 1964, with a combination of gouache, watercolor, ink, and pastel, and exhibit the Dalínian invention of “bulletism,”
Divine Comedy - 1960
In 1953 Salvador Dalí was commissioned by the Italian government to illustrate Dante Alighieri’s Divine Comedy. After nearly a decade, his watercolors were published as a six volume set. The images have become some of Dalí’s most recognizable works and continue to enchant collectors. The journey from Hell to Purgatory and into Paradise has never been more beautifully illustrated and the original woodblock engravings are an important addition to any collector of Dalí or modern art. Dalí himself thought this suite to be one of the most important of his career and is considered by many today to be some of his most notable work.
Our Historical Heritage - 1975
The hand signed engravings from Our Historical Heritage are Salvador Dalí’s interpretation of important events and historical figures from the Old Testament. The images that Dalí created for this 1975 portfolio highlight the artist’s tendency for religious themes, seen throughout much of the his work. The 11 original engravings are quality representations of Dalí’s draftsmanship, illustrated with pochoir coloring that allows for a unique variation on each print.
Paradise Lost - 1974
Regarded as one of the most important works in literature, John Milton’s Paradise Lost was illustrated in ten color etchings by master Salvador Dalí in 1974. The simplicity of line and careful draftsmanship exude the turmoil of man’s battle with the temptation of Satan. A small edition of 150 was created on Rives paper and is noted as having some of Dalí’s sharpest lines. These hand signed etchings are an important addition for the collector of modern art and connoisseur of the world’s finest literature.
Memories of Surrealism - 1971
Created in 1971, Memories of Surrealism consists of 12 hand signed lithographs with etching, printed in colors. This suite is the quintessential example of Dalínian symbolism and surrealism. Included in these works are crutches, clocks, butterflies, Gala and Dalí himself; all important symbols that describe Dalí’s artistic progress. Perhaps more so than any other portfolio created by the artist, Memories of Surrealism gives a glimpse into the most creative corners of Dalí’s eccentric mind and offers an attractive and valuable collecting opportunity.
About William Bennett Gallery
As the newest and largest gallery in New York’s SoHo district, encompassing 5,000 sq ft on two levels, the William Bennett Gallery opened in September 2007 with a premiere collection of 20th century and contemporary art. This collection includes one of the largest compilations of original Salvador Dali watercolors and illustrations on the East Coast as well as numerous works from Picasso, Miro, and Matisse. Housed in one of SoHo’s most well-preserved examples of New York City’s 19th century cast-iron architecture, the 120 year old building has served as a bread bakery, industrial machine shop, and now the William Bennett Gallery settles in to foster relationships based on a mutual passion for art. The gallery creates an inviting and scholarly setting for collectors ranging from the novice to art connoisseur and offers a series of informative dialogs to educate new art collectors. Visit www.williambennettgallery.com for more information.
Website: http://www.williambennettgallery.com
Contact Info:
William Bennett Gallery
65 Greene Street, New York, NY 10012
Phone: 212-965-8707
