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£150 Garage Find Becomes £45,700 Dalí Masterpiece
15 Nov
Summary
- Salvador Dalí illustration Vecchio Sultano sold for £45,700.
- Antiques dealer bought the artwork for only £150 at auction.
- The painting was part of Dalí's unfinished Arabian Nights project.
A Salvador Dalí illustration, "Vecchio Sultano," has achieved an impressive £45,700 after being discovered in a London garage. The 1966 artwork, depicting a bejewelled old sultan, was initially purchased for just £150 by a Cambridge antiques dealer at a house clearance auction. Its authenticity was later verified by renowned Dalí expert Nicolas Descharnes.
The illustration was part of Dalí's ambitious, yet unfinished, "Arabian Nights" project. Dalí completed only 100 of the planned 500 illustrations before abandoning the collection. The "Vecchio Sultano" is a notable addition to the known works from this series.
Further investigation revealed stickers on the artwork's reverse, indicating its prior listing in a Sotheby's catalogue from the 1990s. This clue prompted the dealer to trace its history, leading to its professional valuation and subsequent sale. The piece, created with mixed media, showcases Dalí's interest in Moorish culture, differing from his more typical surrealist style.
