1965 Salvador Dali Ink Drawing in Book
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GUEST:
When I was a college student, I took my very first trip to New York City, and we happened to go to the St. Regis bar. And I looked up, and in walks this gentleman with a gold-tipped cane and this huge mustache. And I just nearly fainted. I told my friends, I said, "There's Salvador Dali! Can you believe it?" And they all looked at me and said, "Who's Salvador Dali?"
APPRAISER:
Who's Salvador...? Okay.
GUEST:
A lady walked over to him with a book and asked him to sign it. I said, "I got to do that." Well, by the time I got the book bought over on Fifth Avenue and got back to the bar, he was gone. And one of the waiters said, "Well, he comes every day at 4:00, "and this is his habit. He lives here when he's in residence." So I said, "Okay. Great." For five days I went at 4:00 and drug all my friends with me. And finally, on the last day, here he comes. And I handed him the book, and he did the drawing. And after he did the drawing, he did this little thing up in the corner, and he said, "Sputnik." Meaning the Russian Sputnik.
APPRAISER:
Sputnik, yeah.
GUEST:
That was still known and popular at that time and everything. And then he wrote the inscription in French, "For Suzy, Bonjour, Dali."
APPRAISER:
Wonderful.
GUEST:
And he signed it, and put his crown on top and dated it. And it was just a marvelous experience.
APPRAISER:
Quite an experience indeed.
GUEST:
Absolutely.
APPRAISER:
The book that you brought him to sign is entitled, The World of Salvador Dali and was written by the Dali expert, Robert Descharnes. I think everything's been said about Dali from his days in Spain and in France, but not everyone knows about the time that he spent in New York. And as you say, he used to stay at the St. Regis, and you said this was during the winter? He used to go there during the winter.
GUEST:
That’s right.
APPRAISER:
And he used his room to do painting. And that was during the '50s and '60s. He and his wife Gala; equally eccentric lady.
GUEST:
That’s right.
APPRAISER:
Now, do you know anything about what this drawing was meant to be or...?
GUEST:
He really didn't comment on that.
APPRAISER:
Well, the figure here, I believe, is Don Quixote.
GUEST:
Oh, that's right.
APPRAISER:
And this would be the shield, and this would be the sword. And of course, that was a subject that he came back to again and again. Like his fellow Spanish artist Picasso, who also used Don Quixote frequently. You can't really think of any other artist where you'd use Don Quixote and Sputnik in the same sentence.
GUEST:
Well, that’s an interesting combination.
APPRAISER:
Now, have you ever had any thoughts about what the value of this might be?
GUEST:
I really haven't. This is the first time I've ever shown it to anybody. Other than just personal friends at home, and that type of thing.
APPRAISER:
I would think at auction, I'd feel pretty confident that an estimate of $10,000 to $15,000 would be appropriate.
GUEST:
Really? Oh, how fabulous.
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