Salvador Dalí

Nicolas and the late Robert Descharnes have confirmed the authenticity of this work.

Provenance:
Gallery Gertrude Stein, New York.
Forum Auction, London, sale of January 29, 2019, lot 91.
Acquired directly from the above sale by the present owner.

Lot Essay:
Dalí’s Universal Tarot Deck was initially commissioned from producer Albert Broccoli for the James Bond Live and Let Die movie. Although it never went through (since the artist reportedly asked for an obnoxious fee), Dalí was encouraged by his wife Gala - very versed in astrology and mysticism - to continue the project.

The present work is one of 78 cards. Altogether, they reveal a new side to Dalí's psychedelic personality, who represented himself and his wife in the deck (as The Magician and The Empress, respectively). The composition of each card is based on an existing, famous, artwork, which ensured the series' international success. Among the artists Dalí refers to are Ingres, Flandrin, Goya and Cranach the Elder, among others.

In the case of the present work, Dali uses Jacques-Louis David's Equestrian Portrait of Count Stanislas Potocki (1781). Originally on a horse, holding a hat in his right hand, the sitter is now associated with a large-scale parrot - a sign of Dalí's mischievous imagery associations.