This sculpture illustrates King Louis XIV, also known as the ‘Sun King’, who reigned in France during the seventeenth century. Dalí depicts a striking warrior on horseback, going into battle, with his arm raised in a victory salute. Dalí painted the Sun King on gouache in 1971 and it was here the image of the Surrealist Warrior was born.
The image of the warrior, as created by Dalí, represents all victories, real and ethereal.
Dalí’s surrealistic interpretation of the warrior includes the addition of a window of light, portrayed through a hole in the chest, inspiring us to see that which is not evident, as well as that which encompasses the dream world beyond everyday reality; Dalí was convinced that heaven could be found in the heart of the man who believes.
Horses are found ubiquitously in Dalí’s artworks, representing freedom and power. Dalí’s Surrealist Warrior portrays a serene horse, the addition of the bareback warrior implying certain victory and royal supremacy.
Date: conceived in 1971, first cast in 1984
Material: bronze
Technique: lost wax process
Edition size : 350 + 35 EA
Height : 51 cm
Edition : patina brown
Maquette: original gouache, Surrealist Warrior, 1971
Direct intervention (created by Dalí): the idea, image, and original maquette
Indirect intervention (created by artisans): lost wax process and patina
