Salvador Dali, Bronze Sculpture, "Space Elephant"

Medium: Bronze
Height, width, depth: 37" x 5.5" x 17" (94 x 14 x 43 cm)
Technique: Lost wax process
Patina: Brown
Edition size: 350+35 EA
Year: Conceived in 1980
First Cast: 1980
References: Descharnes, Dali: The Hard and the Soft, Sculptures & Objects. Eccart, 2004. Pg. 244 ref. 631

Certificate of Authenticity is included.

Free shipping to Canada, US, Europe and Hong Kong.

Salvador Dalí's Space Elephant is a surreal and striking work of art that captures the essence of his fascination with dreamlike imagery and distorted reality. This bronze sculpture features an elongated elephant with exaggeratedly thin, spindly legs juxtaposing the heavy body of the elephant. The creature’s towering, delicate limbs give it a surreal and ethereal quality, as though it could topple or float at any moment, defying the laws of physics.

On the elephant’s back is a monumental obelisk, reminiscent of the ancient Egyptian symbol, often interpreted as a representation of power, knowledge, masculinity or aspiration. The obelisk contrasts sharply with the frailty of the legs, creating a tension between strength and fragility. The image of an elephant carrying an obelisk is portrayed in one of Dalí’s best-known paintings The Temptation of St. Anthony (1946).

The Space Elephant reflects Dalí’s recurring themes of duality, the subconscious, and the intersection of time and space. It evokes a sense of awe and wonder, standing as a testament to his ability to bring the surreal into tangible form. Rich in detail and imbued with symbolism, it invites viewers to explore the boundaries of imagination and reality.

This iconic sculpture, with its dreamlike and almost otherworldly presence, has become one of Dalí’s most recognizable and celebrated works.

Space Elephant is a part of a limited edition series of 350, created and authorized by Salvador Dali, documented in the Catalogue Raisonné of Dalí's sculptures.