In May of 2008, an original Dali oil painting came up for sale at Christie’s in New York, carrying an estimate of $60,000 to $70,000. The bidding was frantic and competitive. By the time the hammer fell, the painting had sold for over $250,000 – more than three times its high estimate.
Why?
For starters, the painting, Le Gran Pavon, is visually stunning; with the vibrant colors of the peacock’s plumage and the noble way it struts in the presence of angels and other figures. The paint has an iridescent quality– not unlike the actual bird itself, which Dali embraced as a subject in his Mythology print series, with a work titled Argus. The appeal of this subject was irresistible to Dali – and the desirability of this striking painting was not lost on crowd at Christies who battled to own it.
The peacock, of course, figures prominently in something Dali profoundly admired: Greek mythology, particularly in the story of Argus, a giant with one hundred eyes. It’s known that the peacock is an ancient symbol of eternal life and the “all-seeing” church. It also represents resurrection, renewal and immortality.
How the print was made:
In the collection of The Salvador Dali Archives you will find two examples of the hand signed lithograph Le Gran Pavon. Le Gran Pavon was a painted by Salvador Dali Dali in 1979 with the intention of it becoming a limited edition lithograph. Dali’s manager, Enrique Sabater, owned the painting, the rights, and even the paper Salvador Dali had pre-signed for the edition. In this period Dali would pre-sign the paper for an entire edition, then the paper, along with the original work, would be sold to a publisher; in most cases, Bill Levine, whose company Levine and Levine published many Dali works. However, as the artist’s health faded, Le Gran Pavon – like other works slated to be made into limited editions – was never produced.
But Le Gran Pavon was the most beautiful of the unpublished works. So in 1996, Bill Levine purchased the painting, the paper, and the rights from Mr. Sabater, with the expressed intention of completing the task the Maestro had envisioned seventeen years earlier. Mr. Levine brought the pre-signed paper to Albert Field at the Salvador Dali Archives in Astoria, New York, who authenticated the originality of the signature by signing and dating the back of each work (see photograph). The vision for Le Gran Pavon, would soon become a reality.
The Dali world is abuzz with the release of this work. Mr. Frank Hunter, President of The Salvador Dali Archives and successor to Mr. Albert Field will provide a letter authenticity confirming that he has personally inspected and authenticated each work. Mr. Peter Lucas, AAA, an acquaintance and publisher of Salvador Dali, who today is a certified member of the prestigious Appraisers Association of America,has personally examined each work as well and will provide a letter of authenticity and an appraisal in the name of the buyer.
Image of Albert Field Signature.
Mr. Field created and maintained the Dali Archives.
Mr. Field passed away in 2003
