After the Second World War, Dali converted, by his own account, to mysticism. The beginning of the Atomic Era strongly influenced his thinking and led to a strong spiritual foundation for his paintings which he made with a great appreciation for the classic art of painting. The temptation of Saint Anthony originated from an entry for a film poster competition. It shows Dalí's nuclear mysticism in all its fierceness. A naked Antonius wards off an frightening mounting horse with a sword, which, standing on legs as thin as gossamer, defies the laws of gravity. The Saint tries not to be seduced by the earthly temptations, symbolised by the horse as a symbol of power, followed by almost floating elephants which carry on their backs symbols of lust and greed. Here Dalí dovetails with a classical painter's theme, which before was used by the painters Bosch and Breugel, Dalí's surrealistic predecessors. Dalí, though, let the frightful temptations act in an alienating world between heaven and earth. However, this "levitation" will later reappear frequently as a theme in his work.
ABOUT THE ART PERIOD: Dali
sublimated his life in his art of painting. Relying on great
craftsmanship, acquired in all sorts of art experiments, he lifted
surrealism, in an inimitable self-willed manner, to exceptional
heights. He photographed, as it were, associatively what was enacted in
his mind. Incited by, at the time, new psychological insights he tried
to fix his subconscious with images, and to visualize his dreams in all
their inscrutable symbolism. It was for this purpose that he developed
his famous "paranoid-critical" method. To us, one dimensional mortal
souls, only the paintings and other expressions remain as fascinating
witnesses to a literally unbelievably intense and active life. Perhaps
we are so drawn to them because not only do they allow us to have a
look inside Daliís subconscious, but they also are a mirror reflecting
our own souls.
Almost
all of our items come with a
history card or string history card that provides background on the history,
mythology, location and main characteristics of the ancient original.
Many items come boxed in elegant color
gift boxes. We are progressively including more items in color boxes.
Museum Reproductions Information:
History of Art Reproductions:
As far as we know, the history of art reproductions
takes us back to Imperial Rome where bronze and marble reproductions of Greek masterpieces
served as decoration for lavish Roman Villas and Gardens. The art of casting is
thousands of years old: Terracotta’s, Bronzes and ancient glass were cast from molds.
Closer to our time in the mid 18th century coinciding with the search for new artistic
styles which took inspiration from the roots of classic art (neoclassicism) and
the discovery of Herculaneum in 1738 and Pompeii in 1748, archaeological reproductions
reappeared all over Europe. As a result of French expeditions to Egypt during the
nineteenth century, a casting facility was set up next to the Louvre Museum where
many important archaeological pieces from ancient Egypt were reproduced. Following
the example of the Louvre, other leading European museums began to reproduce some
of the masterpieces in their collections thus initiating a trend that continues
until today.
Art Reproduction Craftsmanship:
For the making of art reproductions, masterpieces
have been chosen from the best museums all over the world, The Louvre, The British
Museum, The National Museum of Athens, The Egyptian Museum Cairo, The New York Metropolitan
Museum of Art. We only use materials and techniques that can achieve the best quality
in reproducing original works of art to obtain very fine pieces, up to the last
detail. Our sculptures are cast in a variety of mediums: Bonded Stone, Polyresins,
and Bronze. The finish of each reproduction, is always hand-made and showing craftsmanship
and historical sense, is the work of an artisan. It is the task to present to the
people of today the legacy of those ancient civilizations with all the beauty and
mystery of our ancestors again in front of our eyes and at the reach of our hands.
There is several steps that must be taken before a museum reproduction sculpture
can be made. Most of our items are original artworks created by our sculptors, carved
out of clay, stone, or wood. Once the original is carved, a mold is made, usually
out of silicon. Crushed stone in a liquid resin medium is poured into a silicon
mold where it solidifies into a hard stone that reproduces all the detail and texture
of the original. All the finishes are done by hand. Many finishes include color
detailing, a labor intensive process where colors are applied with small brushes
by our skilled artisans.
Museum Reproductions
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