DETAILS
Year :conceived in 1975, first cast in 1984
Height: 53 cm
Material: bronze
Technique: lost-wax
Edition Size: 350+35 EA
Patina: green
Maquette:original gouache, ʺTriumphant Elephantʺ, 1975
References Descharnes: Dalí: The Hard and the Soft, Sculptures & Objects. Eccart, 2004. pg. 252 ref. 651
DESCRIPTION
The elephant, Dalí’s symbol of the future, is one of his favourite images, often typically depicted carrying objects on their backs. Dalí subverts the idea of the elephant being heavy and strong, by giving it impossibly long legs. It is an example of pure Daliesque whimsy, a fantastic image created by juxtaposing the immense weight with the fragility of the thin joints. There is a sense of otherworldliness as Dalí’s elephants defy the laws of nature moving effortlessly, almost gracefully. The figure resting lightly on the pachyderms back is an angel, an image which featured widely in Dalí’s oeuvre. In Dalinian psychology, the messenger represents the subconscious that guides man through life. The elephant raises his trunk triumphantly as the jubilant herald mirrors this action trumpeting success and hope for the future.
The elephant, Dalí’s symbol of the future, is one of his favourite images, often typically depicted carrying objects on their backs. Dalí subverts the idea of the elephant being heavy and strong, by giving it impossibly long legs. It is an example of pure Daliesque whimsy, a fantastic image created by juxtaposing the immense weight with the fragility of the thin joints. There is a sense of otherworldliness as Dalí’s elephants defy the laws of nature moving effortlessly, almost gracefully. The figure resting lightly on the pachyderms back is an angel, an image which featured widely in Dalí’s oeuvre. In Dalinian psychology, the messenger represents the subconscious that guides man through life. The elephant raises his trunk triumphantly as the jubilant herald mirrors this action trumpeting success and hope for the future.