The Zodiac series is a portfolio of twelve signed lithograph prints created by Dalí in 1967 with frontispiece and text. The Haggerty portfolio is the thirty-second of fifty editions published on Japanese paper by Leon Amiel of Paris and New York.
Each Zodiac print represents one of the twelve astrological signs. These signs appeared first in Mesopotamia ca. 450 B.C. as part of a numerical reference scheme known as the ecliptic. Ancient astrologers studying the movements and relative positions of the celestial bodies divided the heavens according to the earth's orbit and the sunís annual path through the sky into twelve constellations: Aries, Taurus, Gemini, Cancer, Leo, Virgo, Libra, Scorpio, Sagittarius, Capricorn, Aquarius and Pisces. The perceived influence of the Zodiac signs on human affairs has become the heart of modern astrology.
Salvador Dalí, a Taurus, was born on May 11, 1904 in Figueras, Spain. Contrary to the steady nature attributed to Taurus, Dalí is known for his explosive character. This may explain why he was suspended from the School of Fine Arts, Madrid in 1923 and later permanently expelled in 1926 for "subversive behavior."
Dalí's interest in the Zodiac dates to 1933, when a group of twelve collectors and friends known as 'the Zodiac' arranged to give the twenty-nine year old artist a regular salary in exchange for the right to choose, in rotation, a selection from his paintings and drawings.
This exhibition has been made possible by a generous gift from an anonymous donor through the courtesy of the David Barnett Gallery.
© 2000 Marquette University
