Salvador Dali (1904-1989) - El Conde-Duque de Olivares

Salvador Dalí (1904–1989)

The Count-Duke of Olivares

After the 1959 composition – Edition 1989

Color etching on Arches France paper, based on the famous interpretation made by Salvador Dalí in 1959 of Velázquez’s monumental equestrian portrait of Gaspar de Guzmán, Count-Duke of Olivares, painted by Diego Velázquez.

Edition: Max Inter Ltd., 1989
Known edition run: 500 copies numbered, in addition to artist’s proofs and out-of-commerce copies
Paper: Arches France, with watermark clearly visible when held to the light
Sheet size: approximately 76 × 56 cm

Dalí takes as a starting point one of the most emblematic images of Spanish painting from the Golden Age: Velázquez’s equestrian portrait of the powerful valido of Philip IV. He immediately preserves the horse’s corvette position, the rider’s figure, and the command baton, but completely transforms the solemnity of the original with his characteristic graphic vocabulary.

The Count-Duke appears constructed through an extraordinary combination of nervous lines, freely drawn strokes, black blotches, and chromatic accents. The horse gains an almost spectral and monumental presence, while broad gestures in ochre, reddish, blue, and black tones envelop the figure and give the composition a Dalinian energy.

The lower part is particularly striking: in front of the monumental equestrian group, Dalí develops an open, dreamlike landscape populated by small figures, trees, mountains, and graphic signs. The enormous difference in scale between the horse and this landscape heightens the fantastical nature of the scene.

The work constitutes an interesting example of Dalí’s constant fascination with the great masters of the Spanish tradition, reinterpreting Velázquez’s fundamental image through a contemporary, expressive, and surreal language.

Edition and support

The original composition is dated 1959, while this graphic edition was published by Max Inter Ltd. in 1989. There are known numbered copies from a run of 500, as well as artist’s proofs marked E.A. (Épreuve d’Artiste).

The present copy is made on Arches France paper, whose watermark “ARCHES FRANCE” is clearly visible when held to the light and is fully compatible with the documented copies of this edition.

In the visible margins of the present copy there is no numbering or signature, so, in the absence of additional documentation, it should not be stated that this corresponds specifically to one of the 500 numbered copies. It could be an artist’s proof or a non-numbered copy related to the same edition.

Condition

Good overall condition and excellent visual presence.

There are scattered oxidation/foxing stains and signs typical of aging and the nature of the paper. On the reverse there are two small tears or localized losses, apparently corresponding to old mounting points or fixing. These issues affect mainly the reverse and do not significantly compromise the reading of the main composition.

The photographs are an integral part of the description and show in detail the conservation status.

A Dalinian reinterpretation of Velázquez

A visually striking composition in which Velázquez, the iconography of power in 17th-century Spain, and Salvador Dalí’s graphic universe converge, also presented in an attractive large format of approximately 76 × 56 cm on Arches France paper.