The Face of Virgil (Purgatory 10)
Creator
Salvador Dali
Title
The Face of Virgil (Purgatory 10)
Date
1951-64
Description
Salvador Dali
Wood Engraving on Rives Paper
MH 177 A-1
Wood Engraving on Rives Paper
MH 177 A-1
Subject
Narrative/Dante's Inferno
Identifier
DAL.07.041
APS.97.10.PR.114
MH 177 A-1
APS.97.10.PR.114
MH 177 A-1
Format
Framed
Coverage
Salvador Dalí
Salvador Dalí was born May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain, and received his formal art education in Madrid. Early in his life, he was influenced by Impressionism and the Renaissance masters, but his artistic preferences evolved towards Cubism and avant-garde movements. In 1929, he became a prominent member of the Surrealist group, ultimately becoming one of its leading figures. His most famous work, "The Persistence of Memory," was completed in August 1931 and is renowned as a masterpiece of Surrealist art.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939), Dalí resided in France before relocating to the United States in 1940, where he achieved commercial success. He later returned to Spain in 1948, announcing his return to the Catholic faith and developing his unique "nuclear mysticism" style, drawing inspiration from classicism, mysticism, and contemporary scientific discoveries. His paintings also reflected his fascination with Classical and Renaissance art, evident in his hyper-realistic style and religious symbolism in his later works.
As a young art student in Madrid and Barcelona, Dalí absorbed a wide range of artistic styles and demonstrated remarkable technical prowess as a painter. However, it was only in the late 1920s that two significant events shaped his mature artistic style: his encounter with Sigmund Freud's writings on the erotic aspects of subconscious imagery and his association with the Paris Surrealists, who sought to prioritize the "greater reality" of the human subconscious over rationality. Dalí began inducing hallucinatory states to access his subconscious mind, a process he termed "paranoiac critical."
Dalí's journey as an artist took him through various phases, from his early experiences in Figueres to his studies at the Fine Arts School in Madrid. His mother's death in 1920 marked a turning point in his life. In Madrid, he attended the Special Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving School while residing at the Residencia de Estudiantes, where he formed friendships with future intellectual and artistic luminaries like Luis Buñuel, Federico García Lorca, and others. Dalí was briefly expelled from the Academia de San Fernando but later returned to continue his studies.
During this period, he experimented with rejecting avant-garde trends and instead sought inspiration from Italian artistic traditions. His association with Federico García Lorca continued, and he made his first trip to Paris, where he met Picasso and visited the Louvre Museum.
In August 1929, Dalí met Elena Dmitrievna Diakonova, also known as "Gala," a Russian immigrant who would become his muse and later, his wife. Gala played a pivotal role in managing Dalí's career, handling his legal and financial affairs. They married in 1934.
By 1930, Dalí had become a prominent figure in the Surrealist movement, receiving patronage from Marie-Laure de Noailles and the Viscount and Viscountess Charles. His famous work, "The Persistence of Memory," was produced during this period, symbolizing the fluidity of time.
As the 1930s progressed, Dalí's eccentric personality and flamboyant style began to overshadow his artistry in the eyes of some critics. In 1934, his introduction to the American art scene stirred controversy, with Dalí making memorable appearances, including one wearing a glass case containing a brassiere.
In September 1938, Dalí spent time at Gabrielle Coco Chanel's home in Roquebrune, where he created numerous paintings exhibited in New York in 1939. He also presented the surreal Dream of Venus pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Following Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War, Dalí shifted his political and ideological stance towards Catholicism and the Falange, leading to severed relationships with figures like Luis Buñuel and André Breton. Dalí's expulsion from the Surrealist group and the coined nickname "Avida Dollars" (an anagram of "Salvador Dalí") by Breton reflected his commercialization and pursuit of fame.
During World War II, Dalí and Gala spent time in the United States from 1940 to 1948. This period marked his emergence as a significant artist, with his first major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941 and the publication of his autobiography in 1942.
As Dalí moved away from Surrealism and entered his classic period, he created a series of large canvases with scientific, historical, or religious themes. Notable works from this period include "The Hallucinogenic Toreador" and "The Sacrament of the Last Supper."
In 1974, Dalí opened the Teatro Museo in Figueres, Spain, followed by retrospectives in Paris and London in the late 1970s. After Gala died in 1982, Dalí's health deteriorated. He passed away on January 23, 1989, in Figueres, Spain, in Figueres due to heart failure with respiratory complications.
Salvador Dalí was born May 11, 1904, in Figueres, Spain, and received his formal art education in Madrid. Early in his life, he was influenced by Impressionism and the Renaissance masters, but his artistic preferences evolved towards Cubism and avant-garde movements. In 1929, he became a prominent member of the Surrealist group, ultimately becoming one of its leading figures. His most famous work, "The Persistence of Memory," was completed in August 1931 and is renowned as a masterpiece of Surrealist art.
During the Spanish Civil War (1936 to 1939), Dalí resided in France before relocating to the United States in 1940, where he achieved commercial success. He later returned to Spain in 1948, announcing his return to the Catholic faith and developing his unique "nuclear mysticism" style, drawing inspiration from classicism, mysticism, and contemporary scientific discoveries. His paintings also reflected his fascination with Classical and Renaissance art, evident in his hyper-realistic style and religious symbolism in his later works.
As a young art student in Madrid and Barcelona, Dalí absorbed a wide range of artistic styles and demonstrated remarkable technical prowess as a painter. However, it was only in the late 1920s that two significant events shaped his mature artistic style: his encounter with Sigmund Freud's writings on the erotic aspects of subconscious imagery and his association with the Paris Surrealists, who sought to prioritize the "greater reality" of the human subconscious over rationality. Dalí began inducing hallucinatory states to access his subconscious mind, a process he termed "paranoiac critical."
Dalí's journey as an artist took him through various phases, from his early experiences in Figueres to his studies at the Fine Arts School in Madrid. His mother's death in 1920 marked a turning point in his life. In Madrid, he attended the Special Painting, Sculpture, and Engraving School while residing at the Residencia de Estudiantes, where he formed friendships with future intellectual and artistic luminaries like Luis Buñuel, Federico García Lorca, and others. Dalí was briefly expelled from the Academia de San Fernando but later returned to continue his studies.
During this period, he experimented with rejecting avant-garde trends and instead sought inspiration from Italian artistic traditions. His association with Federico García Lorca continued, and he made his first trip to Paris, where he met Picasso and visited the Louvre Museum.
In August 1929, Dalí met Elena Dmitrievna Diakonova, also known as "Gala," a Russian immigrant who would become his muse and later, his wife. Gala played a pivotal role in managing Dalí's career, handling his legal and financial affairs. They married in 1934.
By 1930, Dalí had become a prominent figure in the Surrealist movement, receiving patronage from Marie-Laure de Noailles and the Viscount and Viscountess Charles. His famous work, "The Persistence of Memory," was produced during this period, symbolizing the fluidity of time.
As the 1930s progressed, Dalí's eccentric personality and flamboyant style began to overshadow his artistry in the eyes of some critics. In 1934, his introduction to the American art scene stirred controversy, with Dalí making memorable appearances, including one wearing a glass case containing a brassiere.
In September 1938, Dalí spent time at Gabrielle Coco Chanel's home in Roquebrune, where he created numerous paintings exhibited in New York in 1939. He also presented the surreal Dream of Venus pavilion at the 1939 New York World's Fair.
Following Franco's victory in the Spanish Civil War, Dalí shifted his political and ideological stance towards Catholicism and the Falange, leading to severed relationships with figures like Luis Buñuel and André Breton. Dalí's expulsion from the Surrealist group and the coined nickname "Avida Dollars" (an anagram of "Salvador Dalí") by Breton reflected his commercialization and pursuit of fame.
During World War II, Dalí and Gala spent time in the United States from 1940 to 1948. This period marked his emergence as a significant artist, with his first major retrospective at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941 and the publication of his autobiography in 1942.
As Dalí moved away from Surrealism and entered his classic period, he created a series of large canvases with scientific, historical, or religious themes. Notable works from this period include "The Hallucinogenic Toreador" and "The Sacrament of the Last Supper."
In 1974, Dalí opened the Teatro Museo in Figueres, Spain, followed by retrospectives in Paris and London in the late 1970s. After Gala died in 1982, Dalí's health deteriorated. He passed away on January 23, 1989, in Figueres, Spain, in Figueres due to heart failure with respiratory complications.
Source
Albert P. Scaglione
Original Format
Wood Engraving on Rives Paper
Files
Collection
Citation
Salvador Dali, “The Face of Virgil (Purgatory 10),” Furlong Gallery, accessed November 3, 2026, https://www.furlonggallery.net/items/show/1343.