Aracne - S. Dalì 1963

📜 Description
Print depicting Arachne, created by Salvador Dalí in 1963 for the *Purgatorio* of the *Divina Commedia*, published by Salani and printed by Stamperia Valdonega in Verona as part of a deluxe edition. The scene presents a central metamorphic figure resembling a large anthropomorphic spider stretched across the space, above which appear two small figures identifiable as Dante and Virgil, wrapped in contrasting draperies; the two observe the punished figure from above, establishing a clear narrative hierarchy between protagonist and moral guides. The composition is constructed with an essential and suspended structure, with elongated limbs and diagonal lines defining a rarefied spatial tension typical of Dalí’s graphic language. The inscription on the verso, “Purgatorio Tav. 25”, places the scene within the *Purgatorio* and directs the interpretation toward the episode of Arachne, the mythological figure transformed into a spider as punishment for her pride; the image visually interprets the Dantean passage through a symbolic synthesis in which bodily deformation becomes an expression of guilt and moral transformation.

📚 Art Historical Note
Salvador Dalí (1904–1989) approached the *Divina Commedia* through an illustrated cycle in which the text is reinterpreted within a surrealist vision, suspended between symbolism and dreamlike deformation. In the plate dedicated to Arachne, belonging to the *Purgatorio*, the artist translates the theme of punished pride into a hybrid and disarticulated figure, while the presence of Dante and Virgil introduces a direct narrative element linking the image to the poem’s journey. The Salani edition, printed in Verona by Stamperia Valdonega, represents a significant example of twentieth-century graphic interpretations of Dante’s work, intended for collectors and fine art print production.

🧾 Technical Sheet
Type: print / woodcut
Author / Maker: Salvador Dalí
Place: Verona
Period: 1963
Material: paper
Technique: woodcut
Subject / Title: “Arachne”
Dimensions: sheet 26 × 33 cm; image 18 × 25 cm
Marks / inscriptions: blank verso with inscription at lower left “Purgatorio Tav. 25”; deluxe edition, copy no. 40

🔍 Condition Report
Overall in excellent condition. Well-preserved sheet, blank verso with typographic indication “Purgatorio Tav. 25”; image clear with well-preserved color, no significant structural defects.