Horse Temptation of Saint Anthony by by Salvador Dali

After the Second World War, Dali converted, by his own account, to mysticism. The beginning of the Atomic Era strongly influenced his thinking and led to a strong spiritual foundation for his paintings which he made with a great appreciation for the classic art of painting. The temptation of Saint Anthony originated from an entry for a film poster competition. It shows Dali's nuclear mysticism in all its fierceness. A naked Antonius wards off an frightening mounting horse with a sword, which, standing on legs as thin as gossamer, defies the laws of gravity. The Saint tries not to be seduced by the earthly temptations, symbolized by the horse as a symbol of power, followed by almost floating elephants which carry on their backs symbols of lust and greed. Here Dali dovetails with a classical painter's theme, which before was used by the painters Bosch and Breugel, Dali's surrealistic predecessors. Dali, though, let the frightful temptations act in an alienating world between heaven and earth. However, this "levitation" will later reappear frequently as a theme in his work.

Material : Collectible quality, resin with hand-painted color details, matte and glossy finish. Statue replica is from the highly collectible Parastone Mouseion 3D Collection.

Included : Full color card with image of original artwork. Description card about artist and artwork. Both cards are in four languages.

Dimensions : 8 in. x 4.5 in. x 2.5 in.