Original Salvador Dali (1904 – 1989) drypoint etching with stencil from the series “La Fontaine’s Bestiary Dalinized”, titled “The Horse that wanted Revenge on the Stag”.

Hand-signed by Salvador Dalí and numbered: 104/250

Printed on Velin d’ARCHES paper in 1974

Size: 63 x 83 cm

Reference: “Salvador Dalí : catalogue raisonné of etchings and mixed-media prints, 1924-1980” – catalog number 655

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Artwork Essay

In this engraving, Salvador Dalí turns to one of La Fontaine’s lesser-known yet deeply philosophical fables. The tale tells of a horse who, seeking revenge on a stag for a past insult, turns to man for help. The man assists in defeating the stag — but at a cost: from that moment on, the horse is never free again, burdened by the rider he invited.

Dalí transforms this moral parable into a visual metaphor filled with surreal symbolism — submission, dominance, and pride. The forms of horse and human seem to merge, becoming mythological in nature. There are no victors here — only the consequences of the desire for control and retribution.

Moral: In the pursuit of triumph over another, we risk the loss of ourselves. Vengeance may bring glory — but often at the price of freedom.

As with the entire Dalinian Bestiary of La Fontaine series, this work showcases not only Dalí’s technical brilliance but also his profound insight into human nature, rendered through the language of myth, allegory, and form.