Dali Original Intaglio Restrike: "Cervantes."

Dali Original Intaglio Restrike
"Cervantes"

This image comes from the suite of 5 original etchings titled Five Spanish Immortals (Field catalog #65-7(B), pp. 28-29).  The one in my collection is a Collector's Guild unlimited edition restrike characterized by the black ink and Dali's signature in the lower left corner of the plate (Restrike information in Field catalog on p. 236).

The etching seems to have been released in a wood frame with silver accents (pictured here) and a white or off-white matte.  On the back of the frame is a Collector's Guild COA.  This original frame and matte combination makes for an attractive package.

It is interesting to compare this package with the Don Quixote framed etching from the same series.  Both are in the exact same size and style frame, but the Don Quixote is about 50% heavier.  I believe the difference in weight is due to the different material used for the backing board.  The Don Quixote has a dense particle board wood backing, and the Cervantes has a softer, cardboard-like backing covered with brown paper.

More research is needed on this issue.  Perhaps this aspect can be used to assess relative order of prints from the unlimited edition.  If sturdier materials are found associated with this print, one hypothesis is that the move to lighter materials represents a switch to cheaper production costs in later runs.

There is no definitive information about how many of these unlimited restrikes were made, but they are very easy to find.  They generally sell for between $50 and $100 depending on the condition.

I was able to get this one in beautiful condition for fewer than $90.

1988 U.S. Olympic Dali Medallions.

1988 U.S. Olympic Dali Medallions

by Deak International

This set of five olympic medallions is packaged in a dark blue flocked case.  Each medal is embedded in a clear plastic holder so you can inspect both sides.

This set comes with a COA which identifies it as one of a limited edition of 25,000 sets in silver.  Also listed is a gold set limited to 1,000.

Each medal is .5 troy oz. of .999 pure silver, 30mm in diameter.  The medals have an attractive frosted proof appearance.

Four of the medallions share the USA Olympic Committee name and logo, dated 1988, on the reverse.  One medallion (the one in the lower right corner of the first image above) has a US-Canadian friendship motif on the reverse (see photos below).

While each medallion bears Dali's signature/logo, I question the level of Dali's participation in these designs.  Unless these designs were produced prior to about 1980, these designs probably weren't even made by his hand.  Dali's last painting was produced in 1983, and it likely that another artist's hand worked at Dali's direction.

Nevertheless, these medallions are attributed to Dali, and are a neat little collectible.

The set is fairly easy to buy, though sellers tend to ask way too much.  At the current average price for silver (~$40/troy ounce), there's only $80 worth of silver in this set. 

A good rule of thumb to calculate the value of something like this to a Dali collector is about 2 to 3 times the value of the precious metal.  Therefore, a reasonable price for this set is about $200.  I got my set for a bit less than that.

Salvador Dali Original Engraving: "Pegasus in Flight with an Angel" (1970).

Salvador Dali Original Engraving:
"Pegasus in Flight with an Angel" (1970)

This original engraving is listed in the Field catalog as #70-3 and is limited to 1,000 prints (250 on Arches, signed; 1,000 in blue signed only in plate; total: 1,250).

As you can see, this engraving features some typical Dalinian imagery: sparse landscape with perspective lines, several objects with long shadows, a horse, cypress trees, etc.  I think the blue ink makes the image pop more than if it were done in black.

This print is on unidentified paper with no watermark, and measures about 11" x 14 7/8".  The image itself is about 10 3/8" x 8 1/8". 

Clearly this print suffers from mat burn.  The Kulicke frame and matte probably date to the 1970's, when this print was produced.  I have seen others of this same print in the same silver frame, so the frame may be original to the print.  Too bad an acid-free mat wasn't used back then.  What were they thinking?

Still, this is a beautiful and rare Dali engraving.  One seldom sees this print for sale, and the few that are currently up for auction are listed for extravagant prices--up to $500.  At that price, it's not selling.  A more reasonable price for this work is in the range of $175.

Poetic Homage to Gala-Salvador Dali.

Poetic Homage to Gala-Salvador Dali
by A. Reynolds Morse for
The Dali Museum, Cleveland (Beachwood) Ohio (1973).

 

I must admit that I am not a connoisseur of poetry.  When I do indulge in said written word, I prefer it to be short and to the point--like Robert Frost's poem "Nothing Gold Can Stay" or Poe's "Annabel Lee."  Say what you will, but anything else just goes over my head.

The poetry found in Poetic Homage to Gala-Salvador Dali falls into the category of poetry that I just don't understand.  As such, I cannot appreciate the inspiration reflected in these works, or that which inspired Morse to reprint said works therein.  Even Morse's astute explanation of the historical or social background to each poem does not make anything clearer for me.

 

Nevertheless, this book, like all Morse books for the Dali Museum, is erudite in its treatment of the subject at hand.  One finds assembled six Dalinian poems which span the years 1926-1964.  However, as the book's title suggests, these are not poems written by Dali, but about Dali.

Each poem is accompanied by an introduction and a biographical note about each author.  There are photographs of Dali and illustrations throughout.  Most notable are the several Dali drawings illustrating "Three Dry Spells" by Edward James.  One would likely have to track down a 1936 copy of the French art magazine Minotaure just to see these drawings.

 

Finally, the reader is treated to two new sonnets penned by Salvador Dali himself.

The entire package is, as always, well-done, but the poetry just doesn't do it for me.  If you're into that kind of thing, you might like this book.

The book is extremely rare, and as indicated on the book itself, it is limited to 250 copies.  My copy has an empty space where it should be numbered, leading me to suspect that more than 250 copies were actually put into circulation.

It seems that there are several numbered copies available in cyberspace for about $35.

A Dali Journal: Impressions and Private Memories of Salvador Dali--January, 1920.

A Dali Journal:
Impressions and Private Memories of Salvador Dali,

January, 1920

Over the years, I have seen this book referenced in other works, and finally it has found its way into my collection.

This book, or booklet, was privately printed by Stratford Press in a limited edition for the Reynolds Morse Foundation in 1962.  It consists of 64 numbered pages stapled to a cover of heavy card stock.  It is richly-illustrated throughout with the boyhood pen and ink drawings of a young Dali, and with a number of photos and art reproductions, all in black-and-white.

The main content of the booklet is a word-for-word translation of a 15 year old Salvador Dali's personal journal from January, 1920.  Sounds interesting, right?  Well, don't get your hopes too high.

The youthful Dali doesn't resemble the megalomaniacal and esoteric wordsmith of his later years.  Here, we find a rather pedestrian Dali whose time is spent at school, hanging with friends, flirting with girls...just an average teenage boy.  We even get a look at the sappy side of young Dali on page 31:

...after that I went to sit on one of the boulevard benches...There I saw the enamored couples...walking before my eyes, showing their happiness...up and down, up and down, whispering their rapturous feelings.  They gazed at one another and in their faces there was a smile of happiness...I thought about how happy they must be; and I smiled.

Who knew that Dali was so normal???  Clearly this is not the picture he painted of himself through his own published writings.

I was a bit disappointed, and left wondering why Morse even bothered to publish this at all.  There is little evidence of the soon-to-be brilliant logician in this prosaic diary.  There is almost no reference to Dali's art or technique, and the journal entries are largely dominated by observations of the weather, and by accounts of the political strife of the period.

Surely there must be a more insightful section of Dali's memoirs suitable for publication.  Perhaps not.  Maybe this is all that had survived up to that point in time.  Apparently, the original journal fell into Morse's hands through a scholarly French book dealer who traced its lineage to a German auction.

Perhaps Morse simply felt a duty to share such a rare historical artifact that fortuitous circumstances had placed into his care.  Coincidentally, that is the same inspiration behind my creation of this very website.

And now for the brass tacks--just how much is this booklet worth?  Unfortunately, this is an item in which its rarity causes it to be more valuable than it realistically should be worth.  To buy one today, you would likely pay about $80.

I suggest that you try to find one in the $20 range, or do what I did: find this item bundled with another book for a great combination deal.  I paid almost nothing for this booklet considering the fair price I paid for the book that it was bundled with.  Awesome score!

Beachwood (Cleveland) Ohio Salvador Dali Museum Dedication Medal/Medallion/Coin.

Beachwood (Cleveland) Ohio
Salvador Dali Museum Dedication Medal/Medallion/Coin

I first encountered this medallion in late 2010.  At the time, I hadn't yet decided to go all-out for collecting Dali medallions, and I lost the sale to a fellow Dali enthusiast.

Since that time, I have become a more active Dali medallion collector, and have pined for the one that got away.  That is, until now.

This rare medallion finally showed up, and I stepped up to the plate to swipe it faster than lightning.

It was obviously made to commemorate the March 7, 1971 dedication of the original Salvador Dali Museum established by Mr. and Mrs. A. Reynolds Morse.

It is composed of 30g of .999 fine silver, is 1.5" in diameter, and is stamped on the rim with serial number "0156."  Interestingly, the auction I lost in 2010 was for medal number "0157."

In my experience, this medallion is extremely rare.  It is not clear exactly how many of these were actually made or distributed.  So far, I have only observed the two low number serials above.

Of the two that sold over the past year, medallion number 0157 sold for $86.  However, I paid far less for my medallion number 0156--more than 33% less, in fact.  At current market value for silver (~$40/troy ounce), there's only about $40 worth of silver in this medallion.  Therefore, this medallion is likely worth about $60-$70, on average.

Of course, it's really worth whatever you are willing to pay for it now that you know it exists.  Happy hunting!!!