A collection of prints signed by Salvador Dalà that spent 50 years gathering dust in a garage are to sell for thousands at auction after they were found during a scavenger hunt.
Ten forgotten lithographs by the famous Spanish surrealist were found in the garage of a house in Berkeley Square, Mayfair, London.
They were bought for $660 by an art gallery at a foreclosure sale during the 1970s and could now fetch $6,600 when they go under the hammer next month.
The seller was getting frustrated as he prepared to move abroad when he discovered the ‘treasure trove’ of artwork recently.
The shipment also includes five lithographs by the French painter, engraver, illustrator and sculptor Theo Tobiasse.
DalÃ’s prints are expected to fetch £300-500 (about $397-$662) and Tobiasse works £100-300 (about $132-$397) when they are sold by Hansons Richmond in London on September 30. Â
Antiques expert Chris Kirkham, assistant director of Hansons Richmond, said: “It was an amazing find.
“I was invited to appraise some antiques at a client’s home.
“During the visit, the seller took me to his garage and, lo and behold, this treasure trove of surrealist lithographs appeared – 15 of them.
“They were hidden and forgotten for about 50 years. It felt completely surreal. You never know what you will discover on a routine home visit.
The buyer paid a modest £500 for the lithographs, all unframed, at a closing sale at a central London gallery in the 1970s.
“He bought them with the intention of framing them for his house in Berkeley Square, but never got around to it. So the prints ended up in his garage.
“They were rediscovered because the seller has been clarifying.
“He is looking to retire and go abroad, so now his lithographs will finally see the light of day at auction.
“Dali and Tobiasse are highly regarded and anything related to them is in demand.
“These lithographs offer an inexpensive way to own a signed print.”
Catalan-born surrealist Salvador Dalà (1904-1989) received his formal fine arts education in Madrid.
He became increasingly attracted to avant-garde movements and joined the Surrealist group in 1929, quickly becoming a leading exponent.
One of the most prolific artists of the 20th century, he is known for his technical skills and whimsical imagery.
Influenced by Pablo Picasso, Joan Miró and Sigmund Freud, his repertoire included painting, sculpture, film, graphic art, animation, fashion and photography.
Théo Tobiasse (1927-2012) was born in Jaffa, Mandatory Palestine, in 1927, to Jewish parents.
The family moved to Paris in 1931, where his typographer father found work in a Russian printing house.
Tobiasse’s first canvases were exhibited at the Salon des Peintres du Sud-Est in 1960.
In 1961 he won an award for “New Mediterranean Painting” and the Dorothy-Gould Award.
In 1962 he exhibited at the Galerie du Faubourg Saint-Honoré in Paris and decided to devote himself exclusively to the visual arts.
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Image Source : nypost.com