Papillon Anciennes Courtesan Salvador Dali

Papillon Anciennes is Salvador Dali’s Tarot  suite consisting of four color lithographs. Courtesan , Eight of Swords in the Tarot deck ,is the fourth lithograph in the suite. The central figure is an archetypal Mother rendered in the style of the Italian Renaissance. In her arms is an elaborate butterfly instead of an infant. A  Renaissance castle appears in the background with eight swords pointing towards the sky.  Surrounding the Madonna-like figure is an elaborate mass of gold and blue swirls creating a frame around the scene. This original limited edition ( LXII/CL ) lithograph is signed in pencil by the artist and is on Japon paper. ref. Field 77-1.D. In excellent condition.

Salvador Domingo Felipe Jacinto Dalí i Domènech, Marquis of Dalí de Púbol (11 May 1904 – 23 January 1989), was a Spanish surrealist artist of Catalan ethnicity born in Figueres, Catalonia, Spain. One of the most famous artists that has ever lived Dali was a prolific creator working in many mediums such as painting, sculpture, ceramics, jewelry, writing , multi media, photography and film making to name a few. He had an eccentric personality and with his exceptional skill as a draftsman and his unusually imaginative view of the world Dali captured the attention of the public wherever his work was displayed. He created his own personal philosophy which he called paranoid critical a state in which one could simulate delusion while still maintaining one’s sanity which influenced the Surrealist movement. Dali’s world of tapping into the unconscious using symbolism filled with themes from religion, death, eroticism and decay has fascinated even those who were not frequent art lovers. Dali was a great showman and loved being adored by his public. But needless to say he had the talent to sustain his popularity even after his death.