The surrealist paintings, sculptures, and cinematic incursions of Salvador Dalí are well known. We remember fondly the artist’s distinct face in an advertisement for Lanvin chocolates, the lobster collaboration with Elsa Schiaparelli, or the “Costume of the year 1945 with drawers”, designed alongside Christian Dior. On the other hand, very little is known about the artist’s rare commissioned works, some of which are on sale at Artcurial auction house, as a part of a wider Impressionist and modern art sale. Fifteen gouache style paintings are available for viewing, including corporate greeting cards made between 1959 and 1976 for the Spanish pharmaceutical company Hoechst Ibérica, a rare example of his commercial works. “It’s quite exceptional, I don’t know of any other examples of Dali’s works that resemble these.” Says Bruno Jaubert, Artcurial’s director of Impressionist and Modern Art. “He took commissions as an artist, but only as it related to theater, cinema, or book illustrations. These examples of his work were previously largely unknown, even though they were created during a long period of time.” In 1959, Salvador Dalí was at the peak of his glory. After his surrealist period in Europe, he enjoyed great success in the United States, including a retrospective exhibit at the Museum of Modern Art in New York in 1941. In the late 1950s, after returning to Catalonia, the laboratory asked him to lend a hand in creating the illustrations for the annual greeting card. The artist worked on this assignment for nearly two decades, signing the works with his hand, and each time adding an autobiographical note. We are still in a constant state of awe at the surrealist universe the artist managed to create, where Christmas trees sprout in imaginary landscapes, or where frosted butterflies or other winged creatures bear caducei. “He had completely detached himself from the commission, through the invention he brought to these works and in the represented themes he describes” continued Bruno Jaubert. “We recognize Dali and the themes of surrealism, but we also recognize a kind of fun in the techniques he uses, with gouache, photo collage, and other forms of mixed media that suggests the artist loved to experiment. When we look at each of these gouaches, we naturally see the signature Christmas tree theme, but also themes of metamorphosis, regeneration, Daphne, Don Quixote… He certainly enjoyed himself a lot, and even provides commentary for his own works.” Previously shown at the Salvador Dali Foundation Gala in Figueras, Spain, the works are estimated to cost between 20,000 – 30,000 euros and 70,000 to 100,000 euros.
Translated by Zoe Hofmann
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