Salvador Dalí was one of the most captivating and challenging artists of the 20th century. While many remember Dalí for his notorious reputation, he was also a deeply spiritual man and frequently used his singular Surrealist perspective to illustrate scenes taken straight from the Bible.
In 1951, Salvador Dalí embarked on a 14-year project to create original engravings illustrating Dante’s epic poem “The Divine Comedy.” Dalí’s attention to detail was meticulous—he created over 100 watercolor studies, worked tirelessly with the publisher, and even personally approved the more than 3,000 woodblocks used for the engravings. The final result was a series of 100 breathtaking engravings bringing the classic poem to life.
Stairway to Heaven explored the mesmerizing world of Dalí’s Divine Comedy engravings, where the surreal met the sacred, and the ordinary was transformed into the extraordinary.
Kaylin Warden joined the Monthaven Arts and Cultural Center staff in 2024 as External Affairs Coordinator. In this post, she organizes special off-site events and manages the organization’s external communications. She also works with the development department by updating the MACC’s customer relations database, and she assists the executive director in setting up exhibitions. Above all else, Kaylin is passionate about the arts. It comes as no surprise, then, that she is now pursuing a master’s degree in art history. When she’s not at the MACC, you can find her reading her favorite books (especially ones dealing with maritime mysteries), cooking, gardening, playing with her cat and two dogs, and cheering for the Nashville Predators.