Salvador Dali, Church and Empire, The Divine Comedy, Woodcut, 1963

Church and Empire - The Divine Comedy is a woodcut print realized in 1963 for a series illustrating the Medieval poem of the "Divine Comedy" by Dante Alighieri. Not signed, as issued. Plate n.6 (as reported on the back of the artwork) Good conditions. Limited edition of 2900, realized by Unione Editoriale, Italy. Ref. Michler-Lopsinger no. 1039/1138, pp.102/114. Prov. Private Collection Rome, Italy. Between 1951 and 1960, Dali was invited by the Italian government to commemorate the birth of Dante Alighieri, Italy’s most famous poet, by producing a series of illustrations for a full-text Deluxe edition of Dante’s masterpiece, the "Divine Comedy". However, in 1958 a new government was elected in Italy, which objected to the idea of entrusting the illustration of the "Divine Comedy" to a foreign artist. As a result, Dali decided to offer the project to the French publisher, Joseph Forêt and the publication was completed on November 23rd, 1963. Dalí painted 100 watercolors in preparation for the publication of the “Divine Comedy.” These watercolors explored the many myths and elements of the magnificent work of literature by the great Dante Alighieri. These drawings were then reproduced using a wood engraving technique. Then an Italian edition was made, using the same woodblocks.