Beschreibung:

on black marble base, measuring 12.25" in height. The bust measures 8.5" high. Incised artist's name and date on Dali's neck Arno Breker 1974-75, marking the period of time in which Breker sculpted Dali from life. Also on back of the neck are foundry marks and edition number, Ventur Arte, 227/999. The bust portrays famed artist Salvador Dali, with his familiar countenance, wavy hair and signature mustache, gazing forward intensely. Dali's face and bald back of head are a bright polished bronze, standing in contrast to the dark hair. Dali and Breker were well documented friends. In his book, Collected Writings of Arno Breker the sculptor describes visiting Dali at the opening of a museum dedicated to the surrealist painter in 1974. Breker was invited to Dali's home, where he completed the sculpture. He was struck by the physical similarities between Dali and the Spanish Baroque artist Diego Velasquez and he attempted to highlight these features. Arno Breker (1900-1991) has recently gained recognition as one of the finest sculptors in 20th century Germany. This late recognition was partly due to the sculptor's association with the Nazi party in the 1930s and '40s, when he accepted many commissions for Neoclassical works to promote the ideologies of the Third Reich. He came to be referred to as "Hitler's Michelangelo," because of the acclaim that the infamous dictator bestowed upon his work. It is believed that Breker did not support these ideologies and that his work for the Nazi Party was fueled by artistic ambition and not a political consciousness. Breker's artistic education and circles were not fully centered in Germany; he counted Salvador Dali, Jean Cocteau and Ernst Fuchs among his many friends. Condition: Minor wear to bronze on top of Dali's ears.