Don Quixote - from 'Cinq Portraits espangols'

 

Salvador Dali

  1904 - 1989

1966  

etching (restrike) 

6 5/8 x 4 13/16" platemark 

signed in the plate, lower right 

unnumbered proof, from an edition of 1900 

authentication label: Societe de Verification de la Nouvelle Gravure Internationale of New York and Paris 

Prestel 148, p. 149 

cream Rives wove 

published 

Collector's Guild Ltd., New York 

25326 

$600.00 

This impression of 'Don Quixote' is from the second campaign, published by The Collector's Guild Ltd. from the plates acquired from the original publisher, Werbungs-und Commerz Union Anstalt, with the permission of Dali.

'Don Quixote' was one of five in the portfolio Five Spanish Portraits, also known as Five Spanish Immortals. Commissioned by the Swiss publisher Werbungs- und Commerz Union Anstalt (WUCUA), they asked Dali to choose five real or legendary Spanish figures with indelible significance to Spanish culure. Ultimately, Dali made portraits of El Cid, Cervantes, Velazquez, and El Greco in addition to Don Quixote.

Working with Dali, WUCUA published three limited editions plus several epreuve d'artiste in sepia, black, and bistre inks on various papers. Soon thereafter, the Collector's Guild Ltd., New York, then acquired the plates with permission from Dali to publish an open edition for their subscribers. These impressions were then authenticated by the Societe de Verification de la Nouvelle Gravure Internationale of New York and Paris, and each impression was mailed with the society's blindstamped label. While Prestel notes a Collector's Guild edition of 1900, the actual number of impressions was likely never recorded.