Spanish legend Salvador Dali’s surrealist vision stretched beyond his canvases and led him to venture into several unusual projects. The artist started working on a limited series of 78 custom decks of tarot cards known as ‘The Dali Universal Tarot’ during the early 1970s. The work was first commissioned to him by Hollywood producer Albert Broccoli and the tarot deck was meant to be used as a prop in the James Bond film Live and Let Die. However, the deal fell through, supposedly due to Dali’s exorbitant monetary demands, the artist remained intrigued with the idea and continued to work on the cards.
He blended a kaleidoscope of western art history with his unmistakable wit in these cards. They also featured some of the artist’s recurring motifs such as butterflies representing the psyche, shadowy and unclear form of human figures, and crutches which Dali believed dually represented both consciousness and the unconsciousness. In Dali’s rendition of ‘Page of Cups,' the page or the noble attendant symbolises youth and optimism. He is holding a cup with a fish inside indicating creativity and emotion.
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