"Between [Dalí and me], a kind of complicity and friendship formed that grew more and more as the years went by."
—Enrique SabaterEnrique Sabater, Salvador Dalí’s close friend and business manager from 1968 to 1981, on meeting the artist for the first time:
"It all started on a Monday, during the summer of 1968 when I went to the home of the painter in Port Lligat, which also served as his studio. I was charged by a news agency to do an interview of Salvador Dalí, the summer on the Costa Brava. Dalí, I had seen him from afar in Figueres, where he seemed to be part of the décor of the Empordà. After showing my press card to Rosa, the housekeeper, I was introduced to the artist. Our conversation lasted a good time and a far cry from the first meeting between two strangers, this meeting seemed that of two old friends finding themselves together after long years of separation.
Finally when the time came for my leaving, Dalí gave me a "whatever you ask me will cost $15,000, that's my usual fee for interviews." Naturally I did not have that kind of money on me and I could not collect the sum within a reasonable time.
Salvador Dalí easily remedied the situation, "Do not worry. Come back the next day. Regardless of whether or not you bring that money." Appreciating his kindness, I knocked on the door of Port Lligat, forty-eight hours later again; then began a fascinating discussion, a pleasant head-to-head with, in the background, the daily life of the Empordà. Once again as I thought we would never have the opportunity to meet again, he added, as a postscript: "Why do not you come back tomorrow?"
That's what I did during the twelve years of my life I dedicated to Salvador Dalí and his universe."
Enrique Sabater and Salvador Dalí. Provenance
Enrique Sabater, Andorra (acquired directly from the artist)
Private Collection (thence by descent)
Acquired from the above by the present owner in 2012Exhibited
Vitoria-Gasteiz, Sala Amárica-Amarica Aretoa, Memòria dels somnis: Salvador Dalí, 1904–1989, December 15, 2000–January 30, 2001, p. 110 (illustrated)
Museu Valencia de Illustració i la Modernitat, Memoria de los sueños: Salvador Dalí, 1904–1989, February 27–April 7, 2002, p. 308 (illustrated)Artist Biography
Salvador Dalí
Spanish • 1904 - 1989
Salvador Dalí was perhaps the most broadly known member of the Surrealist movement of the early twentieth century. Heavily influenced by Sigmund Freud, the avant-garde style explored consciousness and dream-like states through exaggerated landscapes and bizarre or grotesque imagery. Using the means of painting, sculpture, printmaking, film and literature, Dalí explored these ideas with a meticulous hand and inventive wit.
Although known for his role in Surrealism, Dalí was also a seminal example of celebrity showmanship and the cult of personality, a phenomenon that dominates popular culture today. Always a colorful and flamboyant presence with his signature cape, wide-eyed expression and trademark upturned waxed mustache, Dalí was a master of self-promotion and spectacle.
Property of a Distinguished Collector
225
Lot offered with No Reserve
Abrazando el poder de mi riqueza comprimiendo los monstruos blandos que persistentemente me atormentan
signed and dated “Dalí 1976” lower right
oil on canvas
89 3/4 x 36 1/4 in. (228 x 92.1 cm)
Painted in 1976, this work is accompanied by a certificate of authenticity signed by Nicolas, Robert, and Olivier Descharnes and is recorded in the Archives Descharnes under reference number H-1073.
Estimate
$200,000 - 300,000 •
Sold for $315,000
John McCord
Head of Day Sale, Morning Session
New York
+1 212 940 1261
20th Century & Contemporary Art Day Sale, Morning Session
New York Auction 24 June 2021
111
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