Salvador Dali, La Grande Jument de Gargantua, i.e. Diane de Poitiers, from Les Songes Drôlatiques de Pantagruel, Original Large Lithograph, 1973

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Salvador dali
"la grande jument de gargantua" (the great mare of gargantua), i.e. Diane de poitiers
from "les songes drôlatiques … Read more Salvador dali
"la grande jument de gargantua" (the great mare of gargantua), i.e. Diane de poitiers
from "les songes drôlatiques de pantagruel" (the drolatic dreams of pantagruel)
from the rarest edition of 50 only

original lithograph on japan paper
year: 1973
76 x 56 cm ca
hand-signed
hand-numbered 8/50

catalogue raisonné:
r.michler and l. W. Löpsinger
"salvador dali, catalogue raisonné of prints ii - lithographs and wood engravings 1956-1980" pages 155 - ref. 1406

with certificate

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history of this artwork

sometime in the 1960s, spanish surrealist artist salvador dali, already considered one of the leading artists worldwide, discovered a special book published in paris in 1565 by richard breton, as the 'last work' of the writer françois rabelais, and named it after his bestseller about the giant pantagruel. This book, "les songes drôlatiques de pantagruel", i.e. The drolatic dreams of pantagruel (where 'drolatic' means funny and amusing), consists of 120 woodcuts, each page showing a completely different figure: strange, hybrid creatures, combinations of man and animal, insect, plant and object, pot-bellied or hunchbacked, with special noses, snouts, trunks or beaks; each having a title in the end of the book.
enraptured and inspired by the new discovery, he chose 25 images and devised variations on these then four-century-old prints. These images have been printed as original lithographs at atelier grapholith in paris, and published by carpentier in geneve in 1973.

this very artwork is one meant to represent la grande jument de gargantua (the great mare of gargantua), i.e. Diane de poitiers.

here the original text in french (an english translation follows):

le personnage suivant encamaillé et encapuchonné, à tête de jument surmontée d'une aigrette, età deux corps réunis sous un même camail, présentant sur le côté droit un écusson chargé de trois besants d'or, ayant la main droite gantée royalement et en forme de main de bénédiction, tenant de la gauche une verge, et au bout un sceptre en pied de biche ou de bouc, symbole de sa lubricité, pourvu d'un priape énorme attaché au ventre avec des courroies et supporte par une machine à roulettes, enfin tout ce bizarre et monstrueux couple planté sur des jambes et des pieds de femme, représenté la grande jument numyde de gargantua, accouplée avec gargantua lui-même. Le camail, la main de bénédiction, et le pied de bouc annoncent la réunion d'une hypocrite dévotion et d'une monstrueuse lubricité; les deux corps à une seule tête, et réunis sous un même manteau royal ou camail, figurent clairement l'union intime de diane de poitiers avec françois it, et l'instrument à roulettes, imaginé pour porter l'énorme priape de gargantua, fait allusion aux petits chariots que les bergers arabes attachoient au derrière de leurs moutons pour porter et conserver leur monstrueuse queue (hérodote, liv. Iii, pag. 229); les jambes et les pieds de cette grande jument achèvent d'expliquer l'énigme: "en cette mesme saison, dit rabelais, fayoles, quart roy de numidye, envoya de affrique a grangousier une jument la plus esnorme\. Et avoyt les pieds fendus en doigts\. Mais surtout avoyt la queue horrible\. Esmerveillez vous dadvantaige de la queue des bes liers de scythie, es quelz fault affuster une charrette au cul pour la porter\." livre i, chapitre xvi.

the following figure, hooded and clad, with a mare's head surmounted by an aigrette, and with two bodies united under the same camail, presenting on the right side an escutcheon charged with three gold bezants, having the right hand royally gloved and in the form of a hand of blessing, holding in the left a rod, and at the end a scepter in the shape of a doe or goat's foot, symbol of his lust, provided with an enormous priapus attached to the belly with straps and supported by a rolling machine, finally all this bizarre and monstrous couple planted on the legs and feet of a woman, represented the great numys mare of gargantua, coupled with gargantua himself. The camail, the hand of blessing, and the goat's foot announce the union of a hypocritical devotion and a monstrous lust; the two bodies with a single head, and united under the same royal mantle or camail, clearly represent the intimate union of diane de poitiers with françois ii, and the instrument on wheels, imagined to carry the enormous priapus of gargantua, alludes to the small carts that the arab shepherds attached to the backs of their sheep to carry and preserve their monstrous tails (herodotus, book iii, page 229); the legs and feet of this large mare complete the explanation of the enigma: "in this same season," says rabelais, "fayoles, quarter king of numidye, sent from africa to grangousier a most enormous mare\. And had feet split into fingers\. But above all had a horrible tail\. Marvel more at the tails of the beasts of scythia, which require a cart to be attached to the back to carry it\." book i, chapter xvi.

diane de poitiers (1500 – 1566) was a french noblewoman and courtier who wielded much power and influence as king henry ii's royal mistress and adviser until his death.
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sold with certificate of authenticity, copy of the catalogue raisonné, and copy of the original woodcut and which inspired dali (we have it in our collection) this piece has an attribution mark,
i am sure that it is completely authentic and take full responsibility for any authenticity
issues arising from misattribution See less