Salvador Dali Chess Set 32 Piece Bronze Sculpture Signed Edition of 225

Artist: Salvador Dali
Title: Chess Set
Medium: 32 piece set of bronze sculptures
Size: 3 1/2" tall
Edition: 6/225
Year: circa 1985
Inscription: Signed and numbered on bottom of piece
Documentation: Includes Gallery Certificate of Authenticity

The game of chess is a recurring theme throughout Salvador Dali's extensive body of work, including "The Temptation of St. Anthony", "The Hallucinogenic Toreador", "Checkmate", "Chess Mask on the Sea", and "Portrait of Marcel Duchamp". Dali used the image of chess to explore themes of the subconscious mind, strategy, intellect, and intentionality.

"Chess Set" is a three dimensional interpretation of that source of inspiration. Created circa 1985, this fully functional chess set comprises 32 individual bronze sculptures. Each chess piece in Dalí's set is intricately designed to resemble a finger. The pieces are highly stylized, with intricate details and subtle variations in shape and form. Despite their unconventional appearance, the pieces are still recognizable as traditional chess pieces, with each representing a specific role on the chessboard.

The "Chess Set" is a testament to Dali's creativity and his ability to imbue ordinary objects with profound meaning and symbolism. By transforming the traditional chess pieces into elongated fingers, Dali invites viewers to contemplate themes of manipulation, control, and power dynamics inherent in the game of chess. Salvador Dali's chess sets have been exhibited in museums worldwide, including the Montreal Museum of Fine Arts, the London Royal Academy of the Arts, and the St. Petersburg Salvador Dali Museum.

This Salvador Dali Chess Set is from an edition of 225 that is signed and numbered on the bottom. This set was originally owned by Joel Meisner who created the Hallucinogenic Toreador along with Dali. Joel Meisner owned the Meisner Foundry, where the Dali Chess Set and Christ were produced, along with all the Erte and Frederick Hart Bronzes. Additiaonlly, purchase of this Salvador Dali Chess Set includes a gallery certificate of authenticity.

About Salvador Dali

Dali was born in Figueres, Spain, in 1904. His family recognized his talent and encouraged his artistic pursuits form an early age. In 1917, Dali's father hosted an exhibition of charcoal drawings in their home, and the following year Dali held his first public exhibition at the Theatre in Figueres. The Theatre was later purchased by Dali in 1960 and turned into a museum to showcase the impressive collection of his life's work. In 1922, Dali moved to Madrid to study at the Real Academia de Bellas Artes de San Fernando, where he began to gain recognize for his cubist works and his eccentric personal style. In 1927, Dali held his first solo art exhibition in Barcelona. The exhibition was well received by both the public and critics.

Until 1929, Dali experimented with a variety of styles. While some themes in his early work repeated throughout his art career, he was not considered a surrealist until 1929 when he officially joined the surrealist group. In 1931, Dali painted "Persistence of Memory" featuring melting clocks. The painting would not go on only to be Dali's best-known work, but it also became the most well-known surrealist work of all time. Despite his iconic surrealist works; however, tension grew Dali and the surrealist group. Dali's work was considerably less political than many of his left leaning contemporaries, and he maintained the position that surrealism can and should exist separately from politics. Later, other members of the surrealist group would continue to criticize Dali's work for his commercial appeal. During the 1930's, Dali became increasingly interested in large scale installation works including his 1939 "Dreams of Venus" which debuted at the New York World's Fair.

In 1989, Dali passed away from heart failure. Dali was buried in a crypt under the stage at his museum at the Theatre in Figueres. The final years of his life were spent continuing to create ate and work on his museum.