Salvator Dalí, Untitled (1932). Courtesy of Heather James Fine Art New York
An unpublished painting from 1932 by Salvador Dalí has been rediscovered in a private collection. Authenticated last year by Dalí expert Nicolas Descharnes, the oil on canvas is currently on view at Heather James Fine Art New York, a new private gallery on the Upper East Side. After extensive study — including infrared photography, signature and pigment analysis, and archival research — the oil painting has been verified as an original work of Dalí.
The piece, Untitled, depicts a flagpole mast emerging outwards from a darkened window. The pole casts a shadow on fragments of a dilapidated brick wall, set against a cloudy sky, and a barren landscape. “This is the first known painting in which Dalí reveals to the public the combination of two new recurring obsessions that appear in his work in 1932: a suspended mast, and a window on a wall shown from an outside perspective displaying the darkness of an interior,” said Dalí expert, Nicolas Descharnes in a press release.
The interpretation of the piece remains unclear, but some art historians suggest that the window could be a representation of Dalí’s house he shared with his wife Gala in Port Lligat, Spain.
Image of Dalí’s home in Port Lligat, Spain. Image via Wikimedia Commons
Salvador Dalí is best known for his visually striking and bizarre images depicted in his surrealist-style work. His eccentric personality and artwork led him to become one of the most prominent surrealist artists of all time, with his most notable work being The Persistence of Memory, which was completed in August 1931.
The majority of Dalí’s important works were created during the 1930’s and most of them are held within various museum collections around the world. Outside of Europe, the Salvador Dalí Museum in Saint Petersburg, Florida, houses the largest collection of Dalí’s works.
Due to museum collectors holding the majority of shares on original Dalí pieces, it is very rare to see one available on the market.
“We are delighted to have this rediscovered painting by Dalí on exhibit at our New York gallery. It presents a unique opportunity to own an exceptional work with a distinguished provenance that has remained in private hands for over 75 years,” stated James Carona, founder of Heather James Fine Art in a press release.
The piece will now find its home for public view at the Heather James Fine Art gallery. While there, viewers can expect to find other important works from a cross-section of periods, movements, and genres, including Impressionist and Modern, Post-War and Contemporary, American and Latin American, Old Masters, and antiquities.
Next, read about the Salvador Dalí house museum in Portlligat and see the Mural of the Statue of Liberty Coming to the High Line.