The largest ever painting by Salvador Dalí is heading to Paris to be auctioned this month.
Measuring 65 by 100 feet, the giant work was actually a set produced for “Bacchanale,” a production for the Ballet Russes de Monte Carlo. The set features the mythical Mount Venus at the centre. In the background, you can see the Ampurdan Plain – a memory of the artist’s birthplace. One could also see a temple in the far distance, the same temple which was featured in Raphael’s “The Marriage of the Virgin” (1504). The set also used to have a giant wooden swan, from whose breasts performers would step onto the stage; however, it was destroyed in 1968.
The surrealist production was a perfect match for Dalí, who was the leading name in the surrealist movement. The artist not only created the set but also wrote the libretto and designed some costumes. Other names associated with the production were choreographer Léonide Massine, iconic designer Coco Chanel, and famous scenographer Prince Alexandre Schervachidze. The play debuted in 1939 in New York. Neither Salvador Dalí nor the dresses of Chanel were able to arrive, but the production was a success nonetheless.
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The painting will be auctioned on March 26 at the 4th annual Surrealism auction by Bonhams. The work goes on the auction block with an estimate of $236,000-$350,000. Aside from Salvador Dalí, the auction will be largely dominated by one private collection and also feature works from the likes of Jane Graverol, Valentine Hugo, and a sizable collection by Picabia.
