Salvador Dali, Pantagruel or Henry II from Les Songes Drôlatiques de Pantagruel, Original Large Lithograph, 1973

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Description

Salvador dali
"pantagruel, ou henri ii" (pantagruel, or henry ii, king of france)
from "les songes drôlatiques de pantagruel" (the … Read more Salvador dali
"pantagruel, ou henri ii" (pantagruel, or henry ii, king of france)
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. 1414

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 pantagruel, i.e. Also henry ii, king of france.

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

ce petit nain grotesque, monté sur des échasses à roulettes, à longues oreilles, et au nez en trompe d'éléphant, coiffé d'un bonnet pyramidal, dont le bord festoné imite la couronne royale, le col garni d'une ample fraise, ayant les deux mains gantées, qu'il porte en arrière pour s'appuyer sur un long bâton à crochets, est, dans le sens de rabelais, le bon pantagruel (henri ii) qu'il représente au moral comme un nain, et au physique comme un hercule, velu comme ung ours, liv. Ii, chap. Ii. "pantagruel estoyt, dit-il, le meilleur petit bon homme qui fust d'icy au bout d'ung baston\." liv. Ii, chap. Xxxi; et liv. Iii, chap. Ii: je vous ay deja dit que c'estoyt le meilleur petit et grand bon hommet qu'oncques ceignit l'espee\."

this grotesque little dwarf, mounted on stilts with wheels, with long ears and an elephant's trunk nose, wearing a pyramidal cap, the scalloped edge of which imitates the royal crown, the collar trimmed with a large ruff, having both gloved hands, which he carries behind to lean on a long hooked staff, is, in the sense of rabelais, the good pantagruel (henry ii) whom he represents morally as a dwarf, and physically as a hercules, hairy as a bear, book ii, chap. Ii. "pantagruel was," he says, "the best little good man who was from here at the end of a stick\." book ii, chap. Xxxi; and book iii, chap. Ii: i have already told you that he was the best little and great good man that ever girded on the sword\."
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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